The bill would ban former Senators, Representatives, and elected congressional officers for life from lobbying Congress on behalf of another person. It would extend several lobbying restrictions for congressional staff from one year to six years. Registered lobbyists and foreign agents could not be hired by a congressional member or committee they substantially lobbied for six years, unless the chamber’s ethics committee grants a waiver for compelling national need.
The bill would require certain lobbying organizations to report former congressional officials they employ or pay. It would create searchable public databases for lobbyist disclosures and those officials’ work information, and send the reports to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. It would also raise a Lobbying Disclosure Act penalty amount from $200,000 to $500,000.
The bill would make more information about lobbying and some former officials’ work available through public databases. Its restrictions would apply mainly to former officials, congressional staff, lobbyists, and lobbying organizations.
The bill authorizes $100,000 for fiscal year 2026 to support the lobbyist disclosure website. This is an authorization, not a guarantee that the money will be appropriated. The bill also raises the stated penalty amount under the Lobbying Disclosure Act from $200,000 to $500,000.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.