Title: Congressional Integrity Act
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary:
Congressional Integrity Act
This bill amends the federal criminal code to increase to five years the post-employment lobbying ban on a former member of the U.S. Senate (currently, two years) or a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives (currently, one year).
Additionally, the bill amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to revise the definition of "lobbyist." Currently, a lobbyist is an individual who: (1) is employed or retained by a client for compensation, (2) makes more than one lobbying contact, and (3) spends at least 20% of the time working for that client on lobbying activities. This bill broadens the term lobbyist to include an individual who spends less than 20% of the time working for a client on lobbying activities, if that individual is a former Member of Congress.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 346 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 346

 To amend title 18, United States Code, to establish a uniform 5-year 
post-employment ban on lobbying by former Members of Congress, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 5, 2017

  Mr. Trott introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 18, United States Code, to establish a uniform 5-year 
post-employment ban on lobbying by former Members of Congress, 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 ``Congressional Integrity Act''.

SEC. 2. 5-YEAR POST-EMPLOYMENT BAN ON LOBBYING BY FORMER MEMBERS OF 
              CONGRESS.

    (a) Former Senators.--Subparagraph (A) of section 207(e)(1) of 
title 18, United States Code, is amended by striking ``within 2 years 
after that person leaves office'' and inserting ``within 5 years after 
that person leaves office''.
    (b) Former Members of the House of Representatives.--Paragraph (1) 
of section 207(e) of such title is amended by striking subparagraph (B) 
and inserting the following:
                    ``(B) Members of the house of representatives.--Any 
                person who is a Member of the House of Representatives 
                and who, within 5 years after that person leaves 
                office, knowingly makes, with the intent to influence, 
                any communication to or appearance before any Member, 
                officer, or employee of either House of Congress and 
                any employee of any other legislative office of the 
                Congress, on behalf of any other person (except the 
                United States) in connection with any matter on which 
                such former Member seeks action by a Member, officer, 
                or employee of either House of Congress, in his or her 
                official capacity, shall be punished as provided in 
                section 216 of this title.
                    ``(C) Officers of the house of representatives.--
                Any person who is an elected officer of the House of 
                Representatives and who, within 1 year after that 
                person leaves office, knowingly makes, with the intent 
                to influence, any communication to or appearance before 
                any Member, officer, or employee of the House of 
                Representatives, on behalf of any other person (except 
                the United States) in connection with any matter on 
                which such former elected officer seeks action by a 
                Member, officer, or employee of either House of 
                Congress, in his or her official capacity, shall be 
                punished as provided in section 216 of this title.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply with respect to any individual who, on or after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, leaves an office to which section 207(e)(1) of 
title 18, United States Code, applies.

SEC. 3. ELIMINATION OF 20-PERCENT EXEMPTION FOR FORMER MEMBERS OF 
              CONGRESS ENGAGING IN LOBBYING.

    (a) Elimination of Exemption.--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.--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. The previous sentence does not apply to an 
                individual if the individual held an office to which 
                subparagraph (A) or subparagraph (B) of section 
                207(e)(1) of title 18, United States Code, applies.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
apply with respect to lobbying contacts made on or after the date of 
the enactment of this Act.
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