I

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 2864

To provide for the disclosure of financial benefits by lobbyists, and for

other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

AUGUST 4, 1993

Mr. GLICKMAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To provide for the disclosure of financial benefits by

lobbyists, 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 ‘‘Information on Finan5 cial Benefits Act of 1993’’.

6 SEC. 2. DISCLOSURE OF FINANCIAL BENEFITS BY LOBBY7 ISTS.

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—In addition to information re9 quired by law to be disclosed by registered lobbyists (here10 in known as ‘‘registrants’’), each registrant shall include
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1 in its semiannual reports under subsection (a) or in a sep2 arate report on financial benefits, subject to the same fil3 ing requirements, as set out in lobbying disclosure law,

4 a list of each individual financial benefit provided directly

5 or indirectly by a registrant (including a financial benefit

6 provided by a lobbyist employed by or a lobbyist who is

7 a member of a registrant) to a covered legislative branch

8 official, to an entity that is established, maintained, con9 trolled, or financed by a covered legislative branch official,

10 or to any other person or entity on behalf of or in the

11 name of a covered legislative branch official, disclosing—

12 (1) with respect to each financial benefit other

13 than one described in subparagraph (B), (C), or

14 (D)—

15 (A) the name and position of the covered

16 legislative branch official or other person or en17 tity to whom or which the financial benefit was

18 provided;

19 (B) the nature of the financial benefit;

20 (C) the date on which the financial benefit

21 was provided; and

22 (D) the value of the financial benefit;

23 (2) with respect to each financial benefit that is

24 in the form of a conference, retreat, or similar event

25 for or on behalf of covered legislative branch official
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1 that is sponsored by or affiliated with an official

2 congressional organization—

3 (A) the nature of the conference, retreat,

4 or other event;

5 (B) the date or dates on which the con6 ference, retreat, or other event occurred;

7 (C) the identity of the organization that

8 sponsored or is affiliated with the event; and

9 (D) a single aggregate figure for the ex10 penses incurred by the registrant in connection

11 with the conference, retreat, or similar event;

12 (3) with respect to each financial benefit that is

13 in the form of an event that is hosted or cohosted

14 with or in honor of 1 or more covered legislative

15 branch officials—

16 (A) the name and position of each such

17 covered legislative branch official;

18 (B) the nature of the event;

19 (C) the date on which the event occurred;

20 and

21 (D) the expenses incurred by the registrant

22 in connection with the event; and

23 (4) with respect to each financial benefit that is

24 in the form of election campaign fundraising activ25 ity—
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1 (A) the name and position of the covered

2 legislative branch official on behalf of whom the

3 fundraising activity was performed;

4 (B) the nature of the fundraising activity;

5 (C) the date or dates on which the fund6 raising activity was performed;

7 (D) the expenses incurred by the registrant

8 in connection with the fundraising activity; and

9 (E) the number of contributions and the

10 aggregate amount of contributions known by

11 the registrant to have been made to the covered

12 legislative branch official as a result of the

13 fundraising activity.

14 (b) EXEMPTION.—A list described in subsection (a)

15 need not disclose financial benefits having a value of $20

16 or less to the extent that the aggregate value of such fi17 nancial benefits that are provided to or on behalf of a cov18 ered legislative branch official or other person or entity

19 during the calendar year in which the semiannual period

20 covered by the report occurs has not exceeded $50.

21 (c) DEFINITION.—As used in this section, the term

22 ‘‘financial benefit’’—

23 (1) means anything of value given to, on behalf

24 of, or for the benefit of a covered legislative branch

25 official, including—
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1 (A) a gift;

2 (B) payment for local or long distance

3 transportation, entertainment, food, or lodging,

4 whether provided in kind, by purchase of a tick5 et, by payment in advance or by reimburse6 ment, or otherwise;

7 (C) a contribution or other payment made

8 to a third party in lieu of an honorarium on the

9 basis of a designation, recommendation, or

10 other specification made by the covered legisla11 tive branch official;

12 (D) reimbursement of an expense;

13 (E) a loan; and

14 (F) an expenditure made for a conference,

15 retreat, or other event benefiting a covered per16 son, but

17 (2) does not include—

18 (A) a contribution, as defined in the Fed19 eral Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C.

20 431 et seq.), that is required to be reported

21 under that Act, unless the contribution is in the

22 form of participation in a fundraising activity

23 on behalf of a covered legislative branch official,

24 including the solicitation of contributions,

25 hosting or cohosting of a fundraising event, or
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1 service on a campaign steering committee or its

2 equivalent;

3 (B) a modest item of food or refreshments,

4 such as a soft drink, coffee, or doughnut, of5 fered other than as part of a meal;

6 (C) a greeting card or other item of little

7 intrinsic value, such as a plaque, certificate, or

8 trophy, that is intended solely for presentation;

9 (D) financial benefits given under cir10 cumstances which make it clear that the bene11 fits are motivated by a family or personal rela12 tionship rather than the position of the recipi13 ent;

14 (E) financial benefits which are not used

15 and which are promptly returned to the donor;

16 or

17 (F) widely attended receptions to which

18 covered legislative branch officials are invited,

19 other than events described in subsection

20 (a)(2).

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