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Prohibits several post-service and in-office practices by Members of Congress to tighten ethics and reduce costs: it criminalizes former Senators, Representatives, and elected officers lobbying current congressional Members or staff on behalf of others after leaving office; bans use of government money to buy airline seats above coach class for Members and legislative branch employees (with narrow exceptions) beginning FY2026; limits special access and services the House may provide to former House Members unless the same services are available to the public; prohibits individual stock ownership by Members of the House (effective just before noon Jan 3, 2027); and ends automatic pay increases for Members of Congress, with the pay change starting after the first general election following enactment. The bill changes House rules, criminal law text related to post-employment lobbying, travel funding rules, and pay procedures. It creates new compliance and reporting duties (including public notice for case-by-case waivers) and phases in different provisions at different dates, so implementation will involve House administrative offices, ethics officials, and affected Members and staff.
Makes it a crime for any person who was a Senator, Member of the House of Representatives, or an elected officer of the Senate or House to, after leaving office, knowingly make (with intent to influence) any communication to or appearance before any Member, officer, or employee of either House of Congress or any employee of any other legislative office of the Congress on behalf of another person (except the United States) about a matter on which the former official seeks action by a Member, officer, or employee in their official capacity.
States that a person who violates the prohibition shall be punished as provided in section 216 of title 18.
Makes conforming changes to 18 U.S.C. § 207(e)(2). The text lists four edits: (1) in the heading, by striking and inserting (text not shown); (2) by striking (text not shown); (3) by striking the phrase "leaves office or employment" and inserting the phrase "leaves employment"; and (4) by striking (text not shown). These specific edits are stated in the section.
The amendments apply with respect to an individual who leaves office on or after the date of enactment of this Act (i.e., the prohibition covers only people who leave office on or after the law’s enactment).
No appropriated or otherwise available funds for official travel of a Member of Congress or any officer or employee of a legislative branch office may be used for airline accommodations that are not coach-class.
Who is affected and how:
Members of Congress: Directly affected across multiple provisions. Senators and Representatives face a criminal ban on post‑service lobbying (for departures on/after enactment). House Members will be barred from owning individual stocks beginning just before noon on January 3, 2027, and will face travel-class limits on government-funded air travel and the end of automatic pay increases.
Former Members and elected congressional officers: Immediately subject to the new criminal prohibition on lobbying current congressional Members or staff on behalf of others after they leave office (applies to departures on/after enactment). Restrictions on certain House-provided benefits limit privileged services previously available to some former Members; waivers are possible but publicly disclosed.
Legislative-branch employees and staff: Face travel restrictions (no government-funded travel above coach class, subject to exceptions) and will be affected by House rule changes and any new enforcement procedures.
House administrative and ethics offices: Must update rules, compliance processes, payroll and travel systems, and implement waiver publication requirements. They will incur administrative work to monitor, report, and enforce the new prohibitions.
Taxpayers and the public: May see reduced costs from restricted travel and elimination of automatic pay increases; the magnitude of savings is uncertain and depends on implementation and exemptions. The public also gains transparency (required waiver publication) and tighter limits on post-service influence by former lawmakers.
Potential secondary effects and considerations:
Repeals paragraph (2) of section 601(a) (the automatic annual pay adjustment tied to the ECI/General Schedule adjustment) and makes conforming renumbering changes to section 601(a)(1) (striking the parenthetical label, and redesignating subparagraphs (A)-(C) as paragraphs (1)-(3)).
Revises 18 U.S.C. 207(e)(1) to prohibit former Senators, Members of the House of Representatives, and elected officers of the Senate or House, after leaving office, from knowingly making communications or appearances to or before any Member, officer, or employee of either House of Congress or any employee of any other legislative office of the Congress, on behalf of any other person (except the United States), with the intent to influence in connection with any matter on which such former official seeks action by a Member, officer, or employee of either House of Congress; violations punished as provided in section 216.
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Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Ethics, Rules, and Oversight and Government Reform, 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.
Introduced April 3, 2025 by Angela Craig · Last progress April 3, 2025
Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Ethics, Rules, and Oversight and Government Reform, 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.
Introduced in House