Lobbying and Ethics Reform Act of 2005

Bill: 109-s-1398
Sponsor: Sen. Feingold, Russell D. [D-WI]
Introduced: 2005-07-14 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Charter airlines
Conflict of interests
Congress
Congressional employees
Congressional ethics
Congressional investigations
Congressional reporting requirements
Congressional travel
Data banks
Electronic data interchange
Employee selection
Ex-Members of Congress
Federal employees
Federal officials
Finance and Financial Sector
Financial disclosure
Fines (Penalties)
Fraud
Gifts
Government publicity
Government travel
House rules and procedure
Internet
Law
Lobbying
Science, Technology, Communications
Senate rules and procedure
Transportation and Public Works
Travel costs

Summary:
action_date: 2005-07-14
text: 
Lobbying and Ethics Reform Act of 2005 - Amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to require: (1) quarterly instead of semiannual filing of lobbying disclosure 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) identification of each executive official and Member of Congress with whom lobbying contacts are made; (5) disclosure by registered lobbyists of all past executive and congressional employment; (6) disclosure of grassroots lobbying communications by paid lobbyists; (7) disclosure of lobbying activities by certain coalitions and associations; and (8) increased penalties for failure to comply with lobbying disclosure requirements.
 
 Extends from one to two years the ban on former very senior and senior executive personnel, former Members of Congress, and officers and employees of the legislative branch to engage in lobbying activities with any officer or employee of the entity in which such person served before his or her tenure terminated.
 
Requires public disclosure by Members of Congress of employment negotiations.
 
Subjects to fines and penalties a Member of Congress or an employee of the House who wrongfully influences, on a partisan basis, an entity's employment decisions or practices.
 
Amends the Code of Official Conduct in the House to prohibit favoritism.
 
Eliminates floor privileges and other perks for former Member lobbyists. 
 
Requires certification that congressional travel meets certain conditions, and establishes civil fines for false certifications.
 
Requires Senators to provide full payment and specified disclosure of charter flights.
 
Requires Members of Congress to provide increased disclosure of his or her official travel. 
 
Requires the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to develop and revise guidelines on reasonable expenses or expenditures for official government travel. 
 
Prohibits gifts by registered lobbyists to Members of Congress and to congressional employees, with certain exceptions.
 
Prohibits Members of Congress from accepting gifts from lobbyists.
 
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: 2005-07-14
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S8306-8310)
action_date: 2005-07-14
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8310-8311)
action_date: 2005-07-14
text: Introduced in Senate