II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 547 

To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require certain 

reports filed under such Act to include the disclosure of persons who 

are registered lobbyists under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 25, 2019 

Mrs. GILLIBRAND introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration 

A BILL 

To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to 

require certain reports filed under such Act to include 

the disclosure of persons who are registered lobbyists 

under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, and for 

other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Connecting Lobbyists 

5 and Electeds for Accountability and Reform Act’’ or the 

6 ‘‘CLEAR Act’’. 


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•S 547 IS

1 SEC. 2. REQUIRING DISCLOSURE IN CERTAIN REPORTS 

2 FILED WITH FEDERAL ELECTION COMMIS3 SION OF PERSONS WHO ARE REGISTERED 

4 LOBBYISTS. 

5 (a) REPORTS FILED BY POLITICAL COMMITTEES.— 

6 Section 304(b) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 

7 1971 (52 U.S.C. 30104(b)) is amended— 

8 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 

9 (7); 

10 (2) by striking the period at the end of para11 graph (8) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

12 (3) by adding at the end the following new 

13 paragraph: 

14 ‘‘(9) if any person identified in subparagraph 

15 (A), (E), (F), or (G) of paragraph (3) is a registered 

16 lobbyist under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, 

17 a separate statement that such person is a reg18 istered lobbyist under such Act.’’. 

19 (b) REPORTS FILED BY PERSONS MAKING INDE20 PENDENT EXPENDITURES.—Section 304(c)(2) of such 

21 Act (52 U.S.C. 30104(c)(2)) is amended— 

22 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara23 graph (B); 

24 (2) by striking the period at the end of sub25 paragraph (C) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 


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1 (3) by adding at the end the following new sub2 paragraph: 

3 ‘‘(D) if the person filing the statement, or a 

4 person whose identification is required to be dis5 closed under subparagraph (C), is a registered lob6 byist under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, a 

7 separate statement that such person is a registered 

8 lobbyist under such Act.’’. 

9 (c) REPORTS FILED BY PERSONS MAKING DIS10 BURSEMENTS FOR ELECTIONEERING COMMUNICA11 TIONS.—Section 304(f)(2) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 

12 30104(f)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the fol13 lowing new subparagraph: 

14 ‘‘(G) If the person making the disburse15 ment, or a contributor described in subpara16 graph (E) or (F), is a registered lobbyist under 

17 the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, a sepa18 rate statement that such person or contributor 

19 is a registered lobbyist under such Act.’’. 

20 (d) REQUIRING COMMISSION TO ESTABLISH LINK TO

21 WEBSITES OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE AND THE SEC22 RETARY OF THE SENATE.—Section 304 of such Act (52 

23 U.S.C. 30104) is amended by adding at the end the fol24 lowing new subsection: 


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1 ‘‘(j) REQUIRING INFORMATION ON REGISTERED

2 LOBBYISTS TO BE LINKED TO WEBSITES OF THE CLERK

3 OF THE HOUSE AND THE SECRETARY OF THE SENATE.— 

4 ‘‘(1) LINKS TO WEBSITES.—The Commission 

5 shall ensure that the Commission’s public database 

6 containing information described in paragraph (2) is 

7 linked electronically to the websites maintained by 

8 the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the 

9 House of Representatives containing information 

10 filed pursuant to the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 

11 1995. 

12 ‘‘(2) INFORMATION DESCRIBED.—The informa13 tion described in this paragraph is each of the fol14 lowing: 

15 ‘‘(A) Information disclosed under para16 graph (9) of subsection (b). 

17 ‘‘(B) Information disclosed under subpara18 graph (D) of subsection (c)(2). 

19 ‘‘(C) Information disclosed under subpara20 graph (G) of subsection (f)(2).’’. 

21 SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

22 The amendments made by this Act shall apply with 

23 respect to reports required to be filed under the Federal 

24 Election Campaign Act of 1971 on or after the expiration 


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•S 547 IS

1 of the 90-day period which begins on the date of the enact2 ment of this Act. 

Æ 


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