Sponsors (6)
The bill increases transparency and limits foreign and corporate influence around lawmakers—strengthening ethics enforcement and national security—but does so by imposing new reporting, compliance, enforcement, and income costs (and privacy risks) on former officials, spouses, and congressional offices, creating legal uncertainty and administrative burdens.
Taxpayers and the general public: Banning former Members and Senators from lobbying or advising adversary countries reduces foreign influence on U.S. policy and lowers the risk that sensitive insider knowledge will be used against U.S. interests.
U.S. foreign policy establishment: Granting the Secretary of State authority to designate additional countries allows a flexible, faster response to emerging geopolitical threats by expanding coverage to new adversaries as needed.
Taxpayers, voters, and watchdogs: Expanded spouse disclosure requirements (public posting, quarterly reports, gift reporting) increase transparency about potential conflicts of interest and make it easier for journalists and watchdogs to detect influence‑peddling tied to high‑ranking officials.
Former lawmakers and spouses: Restrictions on lobbying and board service will reduce post‑service employment opportunities and household income for former Members, Senators, and spouses, limiting career options after public service.
Registered spouses and small businesses: New recurring reporting requirements (quarterly filings, expense estimates) impose compliance costs and administrative burdens on spouses and small businesses that work with or employ them.
Spouses and families: Public disclosures of paid advocacy, clients, gifts, or business relationships risk revealing sensitive commercial or personal information and intruding on privacy for people who are not themselves public officials.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Bans certain post‑government lobbying for specified foreign adversaries, requires spouses of covered officials to register and report advocacy, bars Members and spouses from for‑profit board/officer roles, and expands spouse disclosure rules.
Introduced March 5, 2026 by Haley Stevens · Last progress March 5, 2026
Prohibits certain post‑government lobbying for specified foreign adversaries, requires spouses of covered federal officials to register and file quarterly public reports about advocacy, bars Members of Congress and their spouses from serving as officers or board members of for‑profit entities (with a narrow grandfather exception), and expands gift and disclosure rules to include spouses. It also adds a placeholder chapter on trade restrictions for covered investments but the text provided contains no substantive rules for that chapter.