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The House passed its lobbying reform bill (H.R.
4975) on May 3, 2006 by a narrow margin of 217 to 213. The main
provisions are summarized below.
Increased Reporting
Lobbying disclosure reports would be filed electronically and quarterly,
instead of semi-annually. The bill would also establish a searchable
public database of registrations and reports. The threshold for
registering as a lobbyist would be lowered from $5,000 to $2,500
in lobbying income or expenditures, and for reporting purposes,
estimates over $5,000 would be reported to the nearest $10,000.
Contributions toward the lobbying activities of a coalition would
be reported if over $5,000 instead of the current $10,000.
Disclosure of Lobbyist Contributions and Gifts
Registered lobbyists (and employees listed as lobbyists by a registrant)
would be required to report the name of federal candidates, political
party, or PACs to which a contribution was made which is required
to be reported to the FEC. Donations they make to entities named
for, established by, or controlled by a Member of Congress will
also need to be reported.
Registered lobbyists (and employees listed as lobbyists by a registrant)
would be required to report on their lobbying disclosure reports
any gifts or meals to Representatives or their staff that count
toward the annual $100 limit under the House rules. (The current
gift rule allows Members and staff to accept any gift less than
$50, as long as the total received from one person is not more than
$100 in a year. Gifts valued less than $10 do not count against
the annual limit.)
Travel and Gifts
The orginal moratorium on privately-funded travel in this bill has
now been modified. According to the newly adopted provision, privately-funded
trips will be allowed if they are pre-approved by a two-thirds vote
of the House ethics committee. The ethics committee will also be
charged with recommending permanent changes to the House Rules for
trip approval by June 15, 2006. In additon, lobbyists would be barred
from traveling on corporate flights with House Representatives and
their staff.
Penalties
The penalty for failing to comply with the Lobbying Disclosure Act
would be raised from $50,000 to $100,000. During consideration in
the Judiciary Committee a criminal penalty was added of up to five
years in jail for egregious violations of the lobbying rules.
Section 527 Organizations
Provisions to regulate Section 527 organizations as political committees
that were passed separately as H.R. 513 were added to H.R. 4975
upon passage. The provisions would limit the amount and types of
donations that 527s can receive. The bill also would repeal the
limits on party expenditures on behalf of candidates in general
elections. Read more about Section
527 legislation.
Oversight and Enforcement
The House Inspector General would have access to lobbying disclosure
reports and authority to refer violations to the Department of Justice.
Earmarks
Earmarks in appropriation bills and conference reports would have
to be listed including the name of the Representative who requested
the earmark. An earmark is defined as a “specific amount of
discretionary budget authority” to an identified non-Federal
entity. The definition was expanded by amendment in the Rules Committee
to cover federal programs as well.
Prospective Employment
Representatives who are engaged in prospective employment negotiations
would be required to file a public disclosure statement with the
Ethics Committee if a conflict of interest or the appearance of
a conflict of interest exists.
Influencing Employment Decisions
Representatives would be prohibited from seeking to influence employment
decisions of private entities based on political affiliation.
Forfeiture of Pension
House Representatives who are convicted of crimes of bribery and
fraud will lose their Member pensions.
Last Updated: May 4, 2006
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