III 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 525 

To amend the Standing Rules of the Senate to provide greater transparency 

in the legislative process. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 29, 2006 

Mr. FEINGOLD (for himself and Mr. OBAMA) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration 

RESOLUTION 

To amend the Standing Rules of the Senate to provide 

greater transparency in the legislative process. 

1 Resolved, 

2 SECTION. 1. SHORT TITLE. 

3 This resolution may be cited as the ‘‘Senate Legisla4 tive Transparency and Accountability Resolution of 

5 2006’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF FLOOR PRIVILEGES FOR FORMER 

2 MEMBERS, SENATE OFFICERS, AND SPEAK3 ERS OF THE HOUSE WHO ARE LOBBYISTS OR 

4 SEEK FINANCIAL GAIN. 

5 Rule XXIII of the Standing Rules of the Senate is 

6 amended by— 

7 (1) inserting ‘‘1.’’ before ‘‘Other’’; 

8 (2) inserting after ‘‘Ex-Senators and Senators 

9 elect’’ the following: ‘‘, except as provided in para10 graph 2’’; 

11 (3) inserting after ‘‘Ex-Secretaries and ex-Ser12 geants at Arms of the Senate’’ the following: ‘‘, ex13 cept as provided in paragraph 2’’; 

14 (4) inserting after ‘‘Ex-Speakers of the House 

15 of Representatives’’ the following: ‘‘, except as pro16 vided in paragraph 2’’; and 

17 (5) adding at the end the following: 

18 ‘‘2. (a) The floor privilege provided in paragraph 1 

19 shall not apply to an individual covered by this paragraph 

20 who is— 

21 ‘‘(1) a registered lobbyist or agent of a foreign 

22 principal; or 

23 ‘‘(2) is in the employ of or represents any party 

24 or organization for the purpose of influencing, di25 rectly, or indirectly, the passage, defeat, or amend26 ment of any legislative proposal. 


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1 ‘‘(b) The Committee on Rules and Administration 

2 may promulgate regulations to allow individuals covered 

3 by this paragraph floor privileges for ceremonial functions 

4 and events designated by the Majority Leader and the Mi5 nority Leader.’’. 

6 SEC. 3. BAN ON GIFTS FROM LOBBYISTS. 

7 Paragraph 1(a)(2) of rule XXXV of the Standing 

8 Rules of the Senate is amended by— 

9 (1) inserting ‘‘(A)’’ after ‘‘(2)’’; and 

10 (2) adding at the end the following: 

11 ‘‘(B) This clause shall not apply to a gift from 

12 a registered lobbyist or an agent of a foreign prin13 cipal.’’. 

14 SEC. 4. TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS AND DISCLOSURE. 

15 (a) IN GENERAL.—Paragraph 2 of rule XXXV of the 

16 Standing Rules of the Senate is amended by adding at 

17 the end the following: 

18 ‘‘(f)(1) Before a Member, officer, or employee may 

19 accept transportation or lodging otherwise permissible 

20 under this paragraph from any person, other than a gov21 ernmental entity, such Member, officer, or employee 

22 shall— 

23 ‘‘(A) obtain a written certification from such 

24 person (and provide a copy of such certification to 

25 the Select Committee on Ethics) that— 


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•SRES 525 IS 

1 ‘‘(i) the trip was not financed in whole, or 

2 in part, by a registered lobbyist or foreign 

3 agent; 

4 ‘‘(ii) the person did not accept, directly or 

5 indirectly, funds from a registered lobbyist or 

6 foreign agent specifically earmarked for the 

7 purpose of financing the travel expenses; 

8 ‘‘(iii) the trip was not planned, orga9 nized, or arranged by or at the request of 

10 a registered lobbyist or foreign agent; and 

11 ‘‘(iv) registered lobbyists will not par12 ticipate in or attend the trip; 

13 ‘‘(B) provide the Select Committee on Ethics 

14 (in the case of an employee, from the supervising 

15 Member or officer), in writing— 

16 ‘‘(i) a detailed itinerary of the trip; and 

17 ‘‘(ii) a determination that the trip— 

18 ‘‘(I) is primarily educational (either 

19 for the invited person or for the organiza20 tion sponsoring the trip); 

21 ‘‘(II) is consistent with the official du22 ties of the Member, officer, or employee; 

23 ‘‘(III) does not create an appearance 

24 of use of public office for private gain; and 


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•SRES 525 IS 

1 ‘‘(iii) has a minimal or no recreational 

2 component; and 

3 ‘‘(C) obtain written approval of the trip from 

4 the Select Committee on Ethics. 

5 ‘‘(2) Not later than 30 days after completion of trav6 el, approved under this subparagraph, the Member, offi7 cer, or employee shall file with the Select Committee on 

8 Ethics and the Secretary of the Senate a description of 

9 meetings and events attended during such travel and the 

10 names of any registered lobbyist who accompanied the 

11 Member, officer, or employee during the travel, except 

12 when disclosure of such information is deemed by the 

13 Member or supervisor under whose direct supervision the 

14 employee is employed to jeopardize the safety of an indi15 vidual or adversely affect national security. Such informa16 tion shall also be posted on the Member’s official website 

17 not later than 30 days after the completion of the travel, 

18 except when disclosure of such information is deemed by 

19 the Member to jeopardize the safety of an individual or 

20 adversely affect national security.’’. 

21 (b) DISCLOSURE OF NONCOMMERCIAL AIR TRAV22 EL.—Paragraph 2 of rule XXXV of the Standing Rules 

23 of the Senate, as amended by subsection (a), is amended 

24 by adding at the end the following: 


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1 ‘‘(g) A Member, officer, or employee of the Senate 

2 shall— 

3 ‘‘(1) disclose a flight on an aircraft that is not 

4 licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration to 

5 operate for compensation or hire, excluding a flight 

6 on an aircraft owned, operated, or leased by a gov7 ernmental entity, taken in connection with the duties 

8 of the Member, officer, or employee as an office9 holder or Senate officer or employee; and 

10 ‘‘(2) with respect to the flight, file a report with 

11 the Secretary of the Senate, including the date, des12 tination, and owner or lessee of the aircraft, the pur13 pose of the trip, and the persons on the trip, except 

14 for any person flying the aircraft.’’. 

15 (c) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—Paragraph 2(e) of rule 

16 XXXV of the Standing Rules of the Senate is amended 

17 to read as follows: 

18 ‘‘(e) The Secretary of the Senate shall make available 

19 to the public all disclosures filed pursuant to subpara20 graphs (f) and (g) as soon as possible after they are re21 ceived and such matters shall be posted on the Member’s 

22 official website but no later than 30 days after the trip 

23 or flight.’’. 


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1 SEC. 5. POST EMPLOYMENT RESTRICTIONS. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Paragraph 9 of rule XXXVII of 

3 the Standing Rules of the Senate is amended by— 

4 (1) designating the first sentence as subpara5 graph (a); 

6 (2) designating the second sentence as subpara7 graph (b); and 

8 (3) adding at the end the following: 

9 ‘‘(c) If an employee on the staff of a Member or on 

10 the staff of a committee whose rate of pay is equal to or 

11 greater than 75 percent of the rate of pay of a Member 

12 and employed at such rate for more than 60 days in a 

13 calendar year, upon leaving that position, becomes a reg14 istered lobbyist under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 

15 1995, or is employed or retained by such a registered lob16 byist for the purpose of influencing legislation, such em17 ployee may not lobby any Member, officer, or employee 

18 of the Senate for a period of 1 year after leaving that 

19 position.’’. 

20 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall take effect 

21 60 days after the date of adoption of this resolution. 

22 SEC. 6. PUBLIC DISCLOSURE BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS 

23 OF EMPLOYMENT NEGOTIATIONS. 

24 Rule XXXVII of the Standing Rules of the Senate 

25 is amended by adding at the end the following: 


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1 ‘‘14. A Member shall not directly negotiate or have 

2 any arrangement concerning prospective private employ3 ment until after the election for his or her successor has 

4 been held, unless such Member files a statement with the 

5 Secretary of the Senate, for public disclosure, regarding 

6 such negotiations or arrangements within 3 business days 

7 after the commencement of such negotiation or arrange8 ment, including the name of the private entity or entities 

9 involved in such negotiations or arrangements, the date 

10 such negotiations or arrangements commenced, and must 

11 be signed by the Member.’’. 

12 SEC. 7. PROHIBIT OFFICIAL CONTACT WITH SPOUSE OR IM13 MEDIATE FAMILY MEMBER OF MEMBER WHO 

14 IS A REGISTERED LOBBYIST. 

15 Rule XXXVII of the Standing Rules of the Senate 

16 is amended by— 

17 (1) redesignating paragraphs 10 through 12 as 

18 paragraphs 11 through 13, respectively; and 

19 (2) inserting after paragraph 9, the following: 

20 ‘‘10. (a) If a Member’s spouse or immediate family 

21 member is a registered lobbyist under the Lobbying Dis22 closure Act of 1995, or is employed or retained by such 

23 a registered lobbyist for the purpose of influencing legisla24 tion, the Member shall prohibit all staff employed by that 

25 Member (including staff in personal, committee and leadVerDate Aug 31 2005 23:27 Jun 30, 2006 Jkt 049196 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR525.IS SR525

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1 ership offices) from having any official contact with the 

2 Member’s spouse or immediate family member. 

3 ‘‘(b) In this paragraph, the term ‘immediate family 

4 member’ means the son, daughter, stepson, stepdaughter, 

5 son-in-law, daughter-in-law, mother, father, stepmother, 

6 stepfather, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother, sister, 

7 stepbrother, or stepsister of the Member.’’. 

8 SEC. 8. INFLUENCING HIRING DECISIONS. 

9 Rule XLIII of the Standing Rules of the Senate is 

10 amended by adding at the end the following: 

11 ‘‘6. No Member shall, with the intent to influence on 

12 the basis of partisan political affiliation an employment 

13 decision or employment practice of any private entity— 

14 ‘‘(1) take or withhold, or offer or threaten to 

15 take or withhold, an official act; or 

16 ‘‘(2) influence, or offer or threaten to influence 

17 the official act of another.’’. 

Æ 


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