Sponsors (8)
The bill increases transparency and tightens post‑employment ethics to curb influence‑peddling and improve public trust, but it does so by restricting career opportunities for former officials and imposing new compliance, enforcement, and operational costs that may be unevenly applied or burdensome.
Taxpayers and the public face reduced influence-peddling because former Members, staff, and recent lobbyists are more restricted from lobbying or hiring that leverages inside access, strengthening ethics safeguards and public trust.
Citizens, journalists, and watchdogs gain easier access to lobbying disclosures through a single searchable website, downloadable database, and API, improving transparency and oversight of who is influencing legislation.
Stronger enforcement tools and higher civil penalties for registrants increase deterrence against nondisclosure and may improve compliance with lobbying rules, benefiting taxpayers and democratic accountability.
Former Members, congressional staff, and senior federal employees face substantially reduced post-government job opportunities and potential earnings because of longer and broader cooling-off periods and hiring restrictions.
Nonprofits, small organizations, state entities, and firms face increased compliance, reporting, and legal costs (including higher fines), which could disproportionately burden smaller actors and prompt more litigation and administrative appeals.
Enforcement and definitions risk uneven or politicized application—reliance on DOJ prosecution, waiver authorities, and ambiguous terms like 'substantial lobbying contact' could produce inconsistent outcomes or be gamed.
Based on analysis of 7 sections of legislative text.
Introduced May 21, 2025 by Joseph Neguse · Last progress May 21, 2025
Prohibits former U.S. Senators, Representatives, and certain congressional officers from lobbying Congress for life, lengthens post-employment cooling-off periods for many congressional staff from one year to six years, and bans members and committees from hiring recent lobbyists who had substantial lobbying contact within the prior six years. Requires a joint, searchable public lobbyist database and annual disclosures by large lobbying firms listing former legislators and senior congressional staff they employ or contract with. Raises a civil penalty to $500,000 and authorizes a $100,000 appropriation to build the database.