‘‘(C) the term ‘covered recipient’ means a 
Federal candidate, an individual holding Fed-
eral office, a leadership PAC, a multicandidate 
political 
committee 
described 
in 
section 
315(a)(4) of the Federal Election Campaign 
Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(4)), or a polit-
ical party committee; and 
‘‘(D) the term ‘leadership PAC’ has the 
meaning given such term in subsection (e)(2).’’. 
(2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made 
by paragraph (1) shall apply with respect to the sec-
ond quarterly period described in section 5(f)(1) of 
the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (as added by 
paragraph (1)) which begins after the date of the 
enactment of this Act and each succeeding quarterly 
period. 
SEC. 205. PROHIBITION ON PROVISION OF GIFTS OR TRAV-
EL BY REGISTERED LOBBYISTS TO MEMBERS 
OF CONGRESS AND TO CONGRESSIONAL EM-
PLOYEES. 
(a) PROHIBITION.—The Lobbying Disclosure Act of 
1995 (2 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) is amended by adding at 
the end the following:
‘‘SEC. 25. PROHIBITION ON PROVISION OF GIFTS OR TRAV-
EL BY REGISTERED LOBBYISTS TO MEMBERS 
OF CONGRESS AND TO CONGRESSIONAL EM-
PLOYEES. 
‘‘(a) PROHIBITION.—Any person described in sub-
section (b) may not make a gift or provide travel to a 
Member, officer, or employee of Congress, if the person 
has knowledge that the gift or travel may not be accepted 
under the rules of the House of Representatives or the 
Senate. 
‘‘(b) PERSONS SUBJECT TO PROHIBITION.—The per-
sons subject to the prohibition under subsection (a) are 
any lobbyist that is registered or is required to register 
under section 4(a)(1), any organization that employs 1 or 
more lobbyists and is registered or is required to register 
under section 4(a)(2), and any employee listed or required 
to be listed as a lobbyist by a registrant under section 
4(b)(6).’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
this section shall take effect on the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
SEC. 206. DISCLOSURE OF LOBBYING ACTIVITIES BY CER-
TAIN COALITIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS. 
Paragraph (2) of section 3 of the Lobbying Disclo-
sure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1602) is amended to read as 
follows:
‘‘(2) CLIENT.—
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘client’ 
means any person or entity that employs or re-
tains another person for financial or other com-
pensation to conduct lobbying activities on be-
half of that person or entity. A person or entity 
whose employees act as lobbyists on its own be-
half is both a client and an employer of such 
employees. 
‘‘(B) TREATMENT OF COALITIONS AND AS-
SOCIATIONS.—
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—Except as pro-
vided in clauses (ii), (iii), and (iv), in the 
case of a coalition or association that em-
ploys or retains other persons to conduct 
lobbying activities, each of the individual 
members of the coalition or association 
(and not the coalition or association) is the 
client. For purposes of section 4(a)(3), the 
preceding sentence shall not apply, and the 
coalition or association shall be treated as 
the client. 
‘‘(ii) EXCEPTION FOR CERTAIN TAX-
EXEMPT ASSOCIATIONS.—In the case of an 
association—
‘‘(I) which is described in para-
graph (3) of section 501(c) of the In-
ternal Revenue Code of 1986 and ex-
empt from tax under section 501(a) of 
such Code, or 
‘‘(II) which is described in any 
other paragraph of section 501(c) of 
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 
and exempt from tax under section 
501(a) of such Code and which has 
substantial exempt activities other 
than lobbying with respect to the spe-
cific issue for which it engaged the 
person filing the registration state-
ment under section 4, 
the association (and not its members) shall 
be treated as the client. 
‘‘(iii) EXCEPTION FOR CERTAIN MEM-
BERS.—Information on a member of a coa-
lition or association need not be included 
in any registration under section 4 if the 
amount reasonably expected to be contrib-
uted by such member toward the activities 
of the coalition or association of influ-
encing legislation is less than $500 during
the quarterly period during which the reg-
istration would be made. 
‘‘(iv) NO
DONOR
OR
MEMBERSHIP 
LIST
DISCLOSURE.—No disclosure is re-
quired under this Act, by reason of this 
subparagraph, with respect to lobbying ac-
tivities if it is publicly available knowledge 
that the organization that would be identi-
fied under this subparagraph is affiliated 
with the client concerned or has been pub-
licly disclosed to have provided funding to 
the client, unless the organization in whole 
or in major part plans, supervises, or con-
trols such lobbying activities. Nothing in 
this subparagraph shall be construed to re-
quire the disclosure of any information 
about individuals who are members of, or 
donors to, an entity treated as a client by 
this Act or an organization identified 
under this subparagraph.’’. 
SEC. 207. DISCLOSURE BY REGISTERED LOBBYISTS OF 
PAST EXECUTIVE BRANCH AND CONGRES-
SIONAL EMPLOYMENT. 
Section 4(b)(6) of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 
1995 (2 U.S.C. 1603(b)(6)) is amended by striking ‘‘or
a covered legislative branch official’’ and all that follows 
through ‘‘as a lobbyist on behalf of the client,’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘or a covered legislative branch official,’’. 
SEC. 208. PUBLIC DATABASE OF LOBBYING DISCLOSURE IN-
FORMATION; MAINTENANCE OF INFORMA-
TION. 
(a) DATABASE REQUIRED.—Section 6 of the Lob-
bying Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1605) is further 
amended—
(1) in paragraph (7), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (8), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting a semicolon; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraphs: 
‘‘(9) maintain, and make available to the public 
over the Internet, without a fee or other access 
charge, in a searchable, sortable, and downloadable 
manner, an electronic database that—
‘‘(A) includes the information contained in 
registrations and reports filed under this Act; 
‘‘(B) directly links the information it con-
tains to the information disclosed in reports 
filed with the Federal Election Commission
under section 304 of the Federal Election Cam-
paign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 434); and 
‘‘(C) is searchable and sortable to the max-
imum extent practicable, including searchable 
and sortable by each of the categories of infor-
mation described in section 4(b) or 5(b); and 
‘‘(10) retain the information contained in a reg-
istration or report filed under this Act for a period 
of at least 6 years after the registration or report 
(as the case may be) is filed.’’. 
(b) AVAILABILITY OF REPORTS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 6(4) of the Lobbying 
Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1605) is amended 
by inserting before the semicolon at the end the fol-
lowing: ‘‘and, in the case of a report filed in elec-
tronic form pursuant to section 5(d), make such re-
port available for public inspection over the Internet 
not more than 48 hours after the report is so filed’’. 
(2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made 
by paragraph (1) shall take effect on the day after 
the end of the first calendar quarter that begins 
after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out paragraph (9) of section 6 of the
Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1605), as 
added by subsection (a) of this section. 
SEC. 209. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING LOBBYING BY 
IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBERS. 
It is the sense of the Congress that the use of a fam-
ily relationship by a lobbyist who is an immediate family 
member of a Member of Congress to gain special advan-
tages over other lobbyists is inappropriate. 
SEC. 210. INAPPLICABILITY TO CERTAIN POLITICAL COM-
MITTEES. 
The amendments made by this title shall not apply 
to the activities of any political committee described in sec-
tion 301(4) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 
(2 U.S.C. 431(4)). 
SEC. 211. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
Except as otherwise provided, the amendments made 
by this title shall apply with respect to any quarterly filing 
period under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 that 
begins on or after January 1, 2008.
TITLE III—ENFORCEMENT OF 
LOBBYING RESTRICTIONS 
SEC. 301. INCREASED CIVIL AND CRIMINAL PENALTIES FOR 
FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH LOBBYING DIS-
CLOSURE REQUIREMENTS. 
Section 7 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 
U.S.C. 1606) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘Whoever’’ and inserting ‘‘(a) 
CIVIL PENALTY.—Whoever’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘$50,000’’ and inserting 
‘‘$100,000’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(b) CRIMINAL PENALTY.—Whoever knowingly and 
corruptly fails to comply with any provision of this Act 
shall be imprisoned for not more than 5 years or fined 
under title 18, United States Code, or both.’’. 
TITLE IV—INCREASED 
DISCLOSURE 
SEC. 401. PROHIBITION ON OFFICIAL CONTACT WITH 
SPOUSE OF MEMBER WHO IS A REGISTERED 
LOBBYIST. 
Rule XXV of the Rules of the House of Representa-
tives is amended by adding at the end the following new 
clause:
‘‘7. A Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner 
shall prohibit all staff employed by that Member, Dele-
gate, or Resident Commissioner (including staff in per-
sonal, committee, and leadership offices) from having any 
official contact with that individual’s spouse if that spouse 
is a lobbyist under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 
or is employed or retained by such a lobbyist for the pur-
pose of influencing legislation.’’. 
SEC. 402. POSTING OF TRAVEL AND FINANCIAL DISCLO-
SURE REPORTS ON PUBLIC WEBSITE OF 
CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTA-
TIVES. 
(a) REQUIRING POSTING ON INTERNET.—The Clerk 
of the House of Representatives shall post on the public 
Internet site of the Office of the Clerk, in a format that 
is searchable, sortable, and downloadable, each of the fol-
lowing: 
(1) The advance authorizations, certifications, 
and disclosures filed with respect to transportation, 
lodging, and related expenses for travel under clause 
5(b) of rule XXV of the Rules of the House of Rep-
resentatives by Members (including Delegates and 
Resident Commissioners to the Congress), officers, 
and employees of the House.
(2) The reports filed under section 103(h)(1) of 
the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 by Members 
of the House of Representatives (including Delegates 
and Resident Commissioners to the Congress). 
(b) APPLICABILITY AND TIMING.—
(1) APPLICABILITY.—Subject to paragraph (2), 
subsection (a) shall apply with respect to informa-
tion received by the Clerk of the House of Rep-
resentatives on or after the date of the enactment of 
this Act. 
(2) TIMING.—The Clerk of the House of Rep-
resentatives shall—
(A) not later than August 1, 2008, post 
the information required by subsection (a) that 
the Clerk receives by June 1, 2008; and 
(B) not later than the end of each 45-day 
period occurring after information is required to 
be posted under subparagraph (A), post the in-
formation required by subsection (a) that the 
Clerk has received since the last posting under 
this subsection. 
(3) OMISSION OF PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE 
INFORMATION.—Members of the House of Rep-
resentatives (including Delegates and Resident Com-
missioners to the Congress) shall be permitted to
omit personally identifiable information not required 
to be disclosed on the reports posted on the public 
Internet site under this section (such as home ad-
dress, Social Security numbers, personal bank ac-
count numbers, home telephone, and names of chil-
dren) prior to the posting of such reports on such 
public Internet site. 
(4) ASSISTANCE IN PROTECTING PERSONAL IN-
FORMATION.—The Clerk of the House of Represent-
atives, in consultation with the Committee on Stand-
ards of Official Conduct, shall include in any infor-
mational materials concerning any disclosure that 
will be posted on the public Internet site under this 
section an explanation of the procedures for pro-
tecting personally identifiable information as de-
scribed in this section. 
(c) RETENTION.—The Clerk shall maintain the infor-
mation posted on the public Internet site of the Office of 
the Clerk under this section for a period of at least 6 years 
after receiving the information. 
SEC. 403. LIMITING GIFTS TO MEMBERS, OFFICERS, AND 
EMPLOYEES OF THE HOUSE FROM STATE 
AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. 
(a) GIFTS
FROM
STATE
AND
LOCAL
GOVERN-
MENTS.—Clause 5(a)(3)(O) of rule XXV of the Rules of
the House of Representatives is amended by striking ‘‘, 
by a State or local government,’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Clause 5(b)(1)(A) 
of rule XXV of the Rules of the House of Representatives 
is amended by inserting ‘‘a State or local government or’’ 
before ‘‘a private source’’. 
TITLE 
V—ADDITIONAL 
CRIMI-
NAL PENALTIES FOR PUBLIC 
OFFICIALS 
SEC. 501. CRIMINAL PENALTIES FOR PUBLIC OFFICIALS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter D of chapter 227 of 
title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘§ 3587. Increased imprisonment for certain offenses 
by public officials 
‘‘(a) GENERAL RULE.—In any Federal criminal case 
in which a public official is convicted of an offense against 
the United States—
‘‘(1) consisting of conduct during the course of 
official duty, intended to enrich that official; and 
‘‘(2) involving bribery, fraud, extortion, or theft 
of public funds greater than $10,000; 
the sentencing judge may increase the sentence of impris-
onment by an amount of up to 2 years. The sentencing 
judge may double the sentence of imprisonment that
would otherwise be imposed in that case: Provided, how-
ever that in no instance may the sentencing judge be al-
lowed to increase the sentence by more than 2 years. 
‘‘(b) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘public 
official’ means—
‘‘(1) an elected official of the United States or 
of a State or local government; 
‘‘(2) a presidentially-appointed official; and 
‘‘(3) an official appointed to a State or local 
governmental office by an elected official of a State 
or local government.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of subchapter D of chapter 227 of title 
18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 
the following new item:
‘‘3587. Increased imprisonment for certain offenses by public officials.’’.
TITLE VI—GENERAL 
PROVISIONS 
SEC. 601. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 
Nothing in this Act or the amendments made by this 
Act shall be construed to prohibit any expressive conduct 
protected from legal prohibition by, or any activities pro-
tected by the free speech, free exercise, or free association 
clauses of, the First Amendment to the Constitution. 
Passed the House of Representatives May 24, 2007. 
Attest:
Clerk.
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 2316
AN ACT 
To provide more rigorous requirements with respect 
to disclosure and enforcement of lobbying laws 
and regulations, and for other purposes.