I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2860 

To amend the Budget Control Act of 2011 to require members and staff 

of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to disclose lobbying 

activities and campaign or member-designated political action committee 

contributions, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 7, 2011 

Mr. LOEBSACK (for himself, Mr. QUIGLEY, and Mr. RENACCI) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Rules 

A BILL 

To amend the Budget Control Act of 2011 to require members and staff of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit 

Reduction to disclose lobbying activities and campaign 

or member-designated political action committee contributions, 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 ‘‘Deficit Committee 

5 Transparency Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. DISCLOSURE OF CERTAIN ACTIVITIES OF MEMBERS 

2 AND STAFF OF THE JOINT SELECT COM3 MITTEE ON DEFICIT REDUCTION. 

4 Section 401 of the Budget Control Act of 2011 is 

5 amended by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (h) 

6 and by adding after subsection (c) the following new sub7 sections: 

8 ‘‘(d) DISCLOSURE OF LOBBYING ACTIVITIES AND

9 MEETINGS.— 

10 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Any member of the joint 

11 committee, and any individual who is on the staff of 

12 the committee or on the personal staff of a member 

13 of the committee, shall disclose any meeting with 

14 any other individual relating to matters before the 

15 committee if such individual— 

16 ‘‘(A) is a registered lobbyist or agent of a 

17 foreign principal as those terms are defined in 

18 clause 5 of rule XXV of the Rules of the House 

19 of Representatives; 

20 ‘‘(B) has any direct personal or pecuniary 

21 interest in any legislative measure pending be22 fore the House of Representatives or the Senate 

23 or reported by a committee of either House; or 

24 ‘‘(C) is in the employ of or represents any 

25 party or organization for the purpose of influVerDate Mar 15 2010 03:34 Sep 09, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2860.IH H2860

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1 encing, directly or indirectly, the passage, de2 feat, or amendment of any legislative proposal. 

3 ‘‘(2) TIMING OF DISCLOSURE.—A meeting shall 

4 be disclosed under paragraph (1) within 48 hours 

5 after such meeting is held, subject to subsection 

6 (f)(2). 

7 ‘‘(e) DISCLOSURE OF CAMPAIGN OR MEMBER-DES8 IGNATED POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE CONTRIBU9 TIONS.— 

10 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Any member of the joint 

11 committee who is a candidate with an authorized 

12 committee or who is a candidate or an individual 

13 holding Federal office affiliated with a leadership 

14 PAC shall disclose any contribution such committee 

15 or such leadership PAC receives from an individual, 

16 or any entity, which— 

17 ‘‘(A) is a registered lobbyist or agent of a 

18 foreign principal; 

19 ‘‘(B) the authorized committee or leader20 ship PAC, using the best efforts of such com21 mittee or PAC, determines is in the employ of 

22 or represents any party or organization for the 

23 purpose of directly or indirectly influencing the 

24 passage, defeat, or amendment of any legisla25 tive proposal; or 


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1 ‘‘(C) makes a single contribution in excess 

2 of $500. 

3 ‘‘(2) TIMING OF DISCLOSURE.—The disclosure 

4 required under paragraph (1) shall be made not 

5 later than 48 hours after the receipt of the contribu6 tion described in such paragraph. 

7 ‘‘(3) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 

8 ‘‘(A) AUTHORIZED COMMITTEE, CAN9 DIDATE, AND CONTRIBUTION.—The terms ‘au10 thorized committee’, ‘candidate’, and ‘contribu11 tion’ have the meaning given such terms in sec12 tion 301 of the Federal Election Campaign Act 

13 of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 431). 

14 ‘‘(B) FOREIGN PRINCIPAL, LOBBYIST.— 

15 The terms ‘foreign principal’ and ‘registered 

16 lobbyist’ have the meaning given such terms in 

17 clause 5 of rule XXV of the Rules of the House 

18 of Representatives. 

19 ‘‘(C) LEADERSHIP PAC.—The term ‘leader20 ship PAC’ has the meaning given such term in 

21 section 304(i)(8) of the Federal Election Cam22 paign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 434(i)(8)). 

23 ‘‘(f) FINAL REPORT ON ACTIVITIES & CAMPAIGN OR

24 MEMBER-DESIGNATED POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE

25 CONTRIBUTIONS.— 


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1 ‘‘(1) CONTENTS OF FINAL REPORT.—Not later 

2 than December 2, 2011, the joint committee shall 

3 submit a report to both Houses of Congress dis4 closing all information required under subsections 

5 (d) and (e) in a final report. 

6 ‘‘(2) CERTAIN ACTIVITIES POSTED ON

7 WEBSITE.—(A) Any meeting described under sub8 section (d) that occurs in the 48-hour period imme9 diately preceding the vote required under subsection 

10 (b)(3)(B)(i) shall be posted on the official website of 

11 the joint committee before such meeting is held and 

12 before such vote may occur. 

13 ‘‘(B) Any meeting described under subsection 

14 (d) that occurs in the 48-hour period immediately 

15 preceding the submission of the report and legisla16 tive language required under subsection (b)(3)(B)(ii) 

17 shall be posted to the website before such meeting 

18 is held and before such submission may occur. 

19 ‘‘(g) OFFICIAL WEBSITE.— 

20 ‘‘(1) CREATION OF JOINT COMMITTEE

21 WEBSITE.—Before the first meeting of the joint 

22 committee, the Co-Chairs shall establish and main23 tain a website for the joint committee that is avail24 able to the public and the contents of which are 

25 searchable and sortable. 


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1 ‘‘(2) CONTENT.—The website shall contain in2 formation required under subsections (d), (e), and 

3 (f) and shall contain such other information the 

4 joint committee or its staff deems necessary and 

5 beneficial to inform the public of the committee’s 

6 proceedings, deliberations, and deadlines of the joint 

7 committee. 

8 ‘‘(3) POSTING REQUIREMENTS.—Information 

9 required to be disclosed under subsections (d), (e), 

10 and (f) shall be posted to the website within the 

11 timeframe required for disclosure under such sub12 sections.’’. 

13 SEC. 3. PUBLICATION OF REPORT AND LEGISLATIVE LAN14 GUAGE PROPOSED BY JOINT COMMITTEE. 

15 Section 401(b)(3)(B)(iv) of the Budget Control Act 

16 of 2011 is amended by inserting before the first sentence 

17 the following new sentence: ‘‘The proposed joint com18 mittee report and proposed legislative language shall be 

19 made available to the public on the website of the joint 

20 committee at least 72 hours before the vote on such meas21 ures.’’. 


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1 SEC. 4. AUDIO AND VISUAL COVERAGE OF JOINT COM2 MITTEE HEARINGS. 

3 Section 401(b)(5)(F) of the Budget Control Act of 

4 2011 is amended by adding at the end thereof the fol5 lowing new clause: 

6 ‘‘(iii) AUDIO AND VISUAL COV7 ERAGE.—Whenever a hearing conducted by 

8 the joint committee is open to the public, 

9 those proceedings shall be open to coverage 

10 by audio and visual means, including in a 

11 format that is streaming on the Internet 

12 via the website of the joint committee.’’. 

Æ 


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