CLEAR Doors Act
Bill: H.R.7133 | Sponsor: Rep. O'Halleran, Tom (D-AZ)
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
Closing Loopholes, Ending Anonymous Revolving Doors Act or the CLEAR Doors Act
This act requires a lobbyist who engages in special lobbying activities to file a report on those activities within 48 hours with the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Special lobbying occurs when a lobbyist who was employed by an executive branch agency in the past four years engages in lobbying activity with an executive official of that agency.

To amend the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to require certain 
lobbyists to report certain contacts with agencies within 48 hours, and 
                          for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Closing Loopholes, Ending Anonymous 
Revolving Doors Act'' or the ``CLEAR Doors Act''.

SEC. 2. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.

    (a) Reporting Requirement.--Section 5 of Lobbying Disclosure Act of 
1995 (2 U.S.C. 1604) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(e) 48-Hour Reports.--
            ``(1) In general.--No later than 48 hours after a lobbyist 
        engages in special lobbying activities, the registrant involved 
        shall file a report with the Secretary of the Senate and the 
        Clerk of the House of Representatives on such activities.
            ``(2) Contents of report.--Each report filed under 
        paragraph (1) shall contain the following items:
                    ``(A) The name of the registrant.
                    ``(B) The name of the client.
                    ``(C) The name of the covered executive branch 
                official of the agency.
                    ``(D) A description of the issue discussed before 
                such agency official.
                    ``(E) The date on which such lobbying activities 
                occurred.
            ``(3) Special rule for new registrants.--If a lobbyist 
        engages in special lobbying activities prior to the 
        registration of the lobbyist (or, if applicable, the 
        organization employing such lobbyist) with the Secretary of the 
        Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives under 
        section 4(a), the lobbyist or organization shall register with 
        the Secretary and the Clerk under such section not later than 
        48 hours after the lobbyist or organization engages in such 
        activities.
            ``(4) Special lobbying activities defined.--In this 
        subsection, the term `special lobbying activities' means any 
        lobbying activity consisting of a lobbying contact made by an 
        employee of a client with a covered executive branch official 
        of an agency of which such lobbyist was formerly employed 
        during the 4-year period that ends on the date of such 
        contact.''.
    (b) Lobbyist Definition.--Section 3(10) of the Lobbying Disclosure 
Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1602(10)) is amended to read as follows:
            ``(10) Lobbyist.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Except as provided in 
                subparagraph (B), term `lobbyist' means any individual 
                who is employed or retained by a client for financial 
                or other compensation for services that include more 
                than one lobbying contact.
                    ``(B) Exception.--
                            ``(i) 20 percent rule.--Except as provided 
                        in clause (ii), subparagraph (A) does not apply 
                        to an individual with respect to a client if 
                        the individual's lobbying activities constitute 
                        less than 20 percent of the time engaged in the 
                        services provided by such individual to that 
                        client over a 3-month period.
                            ``(ii) Special lobbying activities 
                        exception.--Clause (i) does not apply to 
                        special lobbying activities under section 
                        5(e).''.
    (c) Conforming and Technical Amendments.--
            (1) Lobbyist registration.--Section 4(a)(1) of the Lobbying 
        Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1603(a)(1)) is amended by 
        striking ``No later than'' and inserting ``Except as provided 
        in section 5(e)(3), no later than''.
            (2) Cross-reference.--Section 6(a)(4) of the Lobbying 
        Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1605(a)(4)) is amended by 
        striking ``section 5(e)'' and inserting ``section 5(f)''.
    (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to lobbying activities occurring on or after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.
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