Lobbying Transparency and Accountability Act of 2005

Bill: 109-hr-4575
Sponsor: Rep. Shays, Christopher [R-CT-4]
Introduced: 2005-12-16 in the House
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Advertising
Associations, institutions, etc.
Campaign funds
Charter airlines
Commerce
Conflict of interests
Congress
Congressional elections
Congressional employees
Congressional ethics
Congressional investigations
Congressional officers
Congressional reporting requirements
Congressional travel
Data banks
Election candidates
Electronic government information
Employee rights
Federal employees
Federal officials
Federal-Indian relations
Finance and Financial Sector
Fines (Penalties)
Fund raising
Gifts
Government ethics
Government paperwork
Government publicity
House rules and procedure
Labor and Employment
Law
Lobbying
Members of Congress
Minorities
Native Americans
Political action committees
Presidential elections
Private aviation
Recreation
Science, Technology, Communications
Senate rules and procedure
Sports and Recreation
Trade associations
Transportation and Public Works
Travel costs
Valuation

Summary:
action_date: 2005-12-16
text: 
Lobbying Transparency and Accountability Act of 2005 - Amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to require: (1) quarterly instead of semiannual filing of lobbying disclosures reports; (2) electronic filing; (3) maintenance of certain lobbying disclosure information in an electronic data base, available to the public free of charge over the Internet; (4) disclosure by registered lobbyists of all past executive and congressional employment; (5 ) disclosure of grassroots lobbying activities by paid lobbyists; (6) disclosure of registered lobbyists contributions and payments; and (7) an increased penalty for failure to comply with lobbying disclosure requirements.
 
Revises criteria, with regard to disclosure requirements, for determining a coalition or association of groups that retain a person to conduct lobbying or grassroots lobbying activities.
 
Extends from one to two years the ban on lobbying contacts by former very senior executive personnel, former Members of Congress, and officers and employees of the legislative branch with any officer or employee of the entity in which such person served before his or her tenure terminated.
 
Amends the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act to grant a current or former employee or officer assigned to an Indian tribe to perform services pursuant to self-governance contracts or compacts formerly performed by them for the United States to communicate with and appear before any department, agency, court, or commission on behalf of the Indian tribe with respect to any matter relating to the contract or compact.
 
Requires public disclosure by Members of Congress of employment negotiations.
 
Exempts from the restrictions on gifts to Members of Congress or Senators, officers, or employees the market value for a flight on an airplane not licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate for compensation or hire. Declares that such market value is the fair market value of a charter flight. Requires public disclosure of such flights.
 
Requires increased disclosure of travel by Members of Congress.
 
Requires the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct and the Select Committee on Ethics to develop and revise guidelines on reasonable expenses or expenditures for official government travel.
 
Declares that a gift to a covered executive branch official, or to an officer, employee, or Member of the House or of the Senate, of a ticket to a sporting or entertainment event shall be the face value of the ticket; and if there is no face value, then the highest cost of a ticket with a face value for the event.
 
Calls for reviews and semiannual reports by the Comptroller General on activities carried out by the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate under the Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-02-16
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution.
action_date: 2005-12-16
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Standards of Official Conduct, Rules, and Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2005-12-16
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Standards of Official Conduct, Rules, and Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2005-12-16
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Standards of Official Conduct, Rules, and Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2005-12-16
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Standards of Official Conduct, Rules, and Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2005-12-16
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Standards of Official Conduct, Rules, and Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2005-12-16
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2005-12-16
text: Introduced in House