HR 2339 IHCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

112th CONGRESSCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

1st SessionCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

H. R. 2339CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To create a Lobbying Disclosure Act Task Force, and to make certain modifications to the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

June 23, 2011CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Mr. QUIGLEY (for himself and Mr. POLIS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the JudiciaryCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

A BILLCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To create a Lobbying Disclosure Act Task Force, and to make certain modifications to the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘Lobbyist Disclosure Enhancement Act’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. MODIFICATIONS TO ENFORCEMENT.

(a) Lobbying Disclosure Act Task Force-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) ESTABLISHMENT- The Attorney General shall establish the Lobbying Disclosure Act Enforcement Task Force (in this subsection referred to as the ‘Task Force’).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) FUNCTIONS- The Task Force--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) shall have primary responsibility for investigating and prosecuting each case referred to the Attorney General under section 6(a)(8) of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1605(a)(8));CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) shall collect and disseminate information with respect to the enforcement of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.);CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) shall audit, at a minimum on an annual basis, and as frequently as deemed necessary by the Task Force, the extent of compliance or noncompliance with the requirements of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 by lobbyists, lobbying firms, and registrants under that Act through a random sampling of lobbying registrations and reports filed under that Act during each calendar year; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(D) shall establish, publicize, and operate a toll-free telephone number to serve as a hotline for members of the public to report noncompliance with lobbyist disclosure requirements under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, and shall develop a mechanism to allow members of the public to report such noncompliance online.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Referral of Cases to the Attorney General- Section 6(a) of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1605(a)) is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) in paragraph (8), by striking ‘United States Attorney for the District of Columbia’ and inserting ‘Attorney General’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) in paragraph (11), by striking ‘United States Attorney for the District of Columbia’ and inserting ‘Attorney General’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Recommendations for Improved Enforcement- The Attorney General may make recommendations to Congress with respect to--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) the enforcement of and compliance with the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) the need for resources available for the enhanced enforcement of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(d) Information in Enforcement Reports- Section 6(b)(1) of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1605(b)(1)) is amended by striking ‘by case’ and all that follows through ‘public record’ and inserting ‘by case and name of the individual lobbyists or lobbying firms involved, any sentences imposed’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 3. DEFINITION OF LOBBYIST.

Section 3(10) of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1602(10)) is amended by striking ‘, other than an individual’ and all that follows through ‘period’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 4. EXPEDITED ONLINE REGISTRATION OF LOBBYISTS; EXPANSION OF REGISTRANTS.

Section 4(a)(1) of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1603(a)(1)) is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) by striking ‘45 days’ and inserting ‘5 days’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) by striking ‘, or on the first business day after such 45th day if such 45th day is not a business day,’ and inserting ‘, or on the first business day occurring after such 5th day if such 5th day does not occur on a business day,’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) by inserting ‘online’ after ‘shall register’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 5. DISCLOSURE OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BY LOBBYISTS.

Section 5(b)(2)(A) of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1604(b)(2)(A)) is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) by striking ‘(A)’ and inserting ‘(A)(i)’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) by adding ‘and’ after the semicolon; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) by adding at the end the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) for each issue listed under clause (i), a list identifying--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(I) each covered executive branch official with whom the lobbyist engaged in lobbying activities;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(II) each covered legislative branch official with whom the lobbyist engaged in lobbying activities and--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(aa) if the official is an employee of a Member of Congress, the name of that Member of Congress; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(bb) if the official is an employee described in clause (ii), (iii), (iv), or (v) of section 3(4), the name of the Member or Members of Congress who hired the official or for whom the official performs duties as such official; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(III) the date of each lobbying contact;’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 6. DISCLOSURE OF POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS.

Section 5(d)(1) of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1604(d)(1)) is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking ‘30 days after’ and all that follows through ‘30th day is not’ and inserting ‘20 days after the end of the quarterly period beginning on the first day of January, April, July, and October of each year, or on the first business day after such 20th day if such 20th day is not’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) by striking ‘semiannual period’ each place it appears and inserting ‘quarterly period’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 7. EFFECTIVE DATE.

(a) Section 2- Section 2 and the amendments made by that section take effect upon the expiration of the 90-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Amendments- The amendments made by sections 3, 4, 5, and 6 take effect on the first day of the first quarterly period described in section 5(a) of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1604(a)) that begins after the end of the 90-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink