United States 117th Congress Status: Died 1 D cosponsors

HR 9693 — Lobbying Disclosure Reform Act of 2022

Last action — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. Died in session

This bill died with 117th Congress. It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Summary

Lobbying Disclosure Reform Act of 2022 This bill makes a series of changes to requirements relating to registered lobbyists, including by requiring unique identification numbers for lobbyists, clients, and providers of strategic lobbying services, and by requiring additional disclosures and reporting with respect to such individuals and activities.

Bill Text

Sections of law this bill changes

6 sections in 1 law

From the bill's own amending language, matched to the official United States Code (current through Public Law 119-124).

Disclosure of lobbying activities · 2 U.S.C. ch. 26 5 sections Amends the act as a whole
  • § 1602 Definitions Amends

    2 U.S.C. § 1602 — at 1602(10)

    The law today

    As used in this chapter: (1) Agency The term “agency” has the meaning given that term in section 551(1) of title 5. (2) Client The term “client” means any person or entity that employs or retains another person for financial or other compensation to conduct lobbying activities on behalf of that person or entity. A person or entity whose employees act as lobbyists on its own behalf is both a client and an employer of such employees. In the case of a coalition or association that employs or retains other persons to conduct lobbying activities, the client is the coalition or association and not its individual members. (3) Covered executive branch official The term “covered executive branch official” means— (A) the President; (B) the Vice President; (C) any officer or employee, or any other individual functioning in the capacity of such an officer or employee, in the Executive Office of the President; (D) any officer or employee serving in a position in level I, II, III, IV, or V of the Executive Schedule, as designated by statute or Executive order; (E) any member of the uniformed services whose pay grade is at or above O–7 under section 201 of title 37; and (F) any officer or employee serving in a position of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character described in section 7511(b)(2)(B) of title 5. (4) Covered legislative branch official The term “covered legislative branch official” means— (A) a Member of Congress; (B) an elected officer of either House of Congress; (C) any employee of, or any other individual functioning in the capacity of an employee of— (i) a Member of Congress; (ii) a committee of either House of Congress; (iii) the leadership staff of the House of Representatives or the leadership staff of the Senate; (iv) a joint committee of Congress; and (v) a working group or caucus organized to provide legislative services or other assistance to Members of Congress; and (D) any other legislative branch employee serving in a position described under section 13101(13) of title 5. (5) Employee The term “employee” means any individual who is an officer, employee, partner, director, or proprietor of a person or entity, but does not include— (A) independent contractors; or (B) volunteers who receive no financial or other compensation from the person or entity for their services. (6) Foreign entity The term “foreign entity” means a foreign principal (as defined in section 1(b) of the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 (22 U.S.C. 611(b)). (7) Lobbying activities The term “lobbying activities” means lobbying contacts and efforts in support of such contacts, including preparation and planning activities, research and other background work that is intended, at the time it is performed, for use in contacts, and coordination with the lobbying activities of others. (8) Lobbying contact (A) Definition The term “lobbying contact” means any oral or written communication (including an electronic communication) to a covered executive branch official or a covered legislative branch official that is made on behalf of a client with regard to— (i) the formulation, modification, or adoption of Federal legislation (including legislative proposals); (ii) the formulation, modification, or adoption of a Federal rule, regulation, Executive order, or any other program, policy, or position of the United States Government; (iii) the administration or execution of a Federal program or policy (including the negotiation, award, or administration of a Federal contract, grant, loan, permit, or license); or (iv) the nomination or confirmation of a person for a position subject to confirmation by the Senate. (B) Exceptions The term “lobbying contact” does not include a communication that is— (i) made by a public official acting in the public official’s official capacity; (ii) made by a representative of a media organization if the purpose of the communication is gathering and disseminating news and information ...

    55 other bills also change this section · Follow it → Official text at uscode.house.gov ↗

  • § 1603 Registration of lobbyists Amends

    2 U.S.C. § 1603 — at 1603(b)(1), 1603(b)(2), 1603(b)(6), 1603(a), 1603(b)(5)(B), and 1603(d)

    The law today

    (a) Registration (1) General rule No later than 45 days after a lobbyist first makes a lobbying contact or is employed or retained to make a lobbying contact, whichever is earlier, or on the first business day after such 45th day if the 45th day is not a business day, such lobbyist (or, as provided under paragraph (2), the organization employing such lobbyist), shall register with the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives. (2) Employer filing Any organization that has 1 or more employees who are lobbyists shall file a single registration under this section on behalf of such employees for each client on whose behalf the employees act as lobbyists. (3) Exemption (A) General rule Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2), a person or entity whose— (i) total income for matters related to lobbying activities on behalf of a particular client (in the case of a lobbying firm) does not exceed and is not expected to exceed $2,500; or (ii) total expenses in connection with lobbying activities (in the case of an organization whose employees engage in lobbying activities on its own behalf) do not exceed or are not expected to exceed $10,000, (as estimated under section 1604 of this title) in the quarterly period described in section 1604(a) of this title during which the registration would be made is not required to register under this subsection with respect to such client. (B) Adjustment The dollar amounts in subparagraph (A) shall be adjusted— (i) on January 1, 1997, to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index (as determined by the Secretary of Labor) since December 19, 1995; and (ii) on January 1 of each fourth year occurring after January 1, 1997, to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index (as determined by the Secretary of Labor) during the preceding 4-year period, rounded to the nearest $500. (b) Contents of registration Each registration under this section shall contain— (1) the name, address, business telephone number, and principal place of business of the registrant, and a general description of its business or activities; (2) the name, address, and principal place of business of the registrant’s client, and a general description of its business or activities (if different from paragraph (1)); (3) the name, address, and principal place of business of any organization, other than the client, that— (A) contributes more than $5,000 to the registrant or the client in the quarterly period to fund the lobbying activities of the registrant; and (B) actively participates in the planning, supervision, or control of such lobbying activities; (4) the name, address, principal place of business, amount of any contribution of more than $5,000 to the lobbying activities of the registrant, and approximate percentage of equitable ownership in the client (if any) of any foreign entity that— (A) holds at least 20 percent equitable ownership in the client or any organization identified under paragraph (3); (B) directly or indirectly, in whole or in major part, plans, supervises, controls, directs, finances, or subsidizes the activities of the client or any organization identified under paragraph (3); or (C) is an affiliate of the client or any organization identified under paragraph (3) and has a direct interest in the outcome of the lobbying activity; (5) a statement of— (A) the general issue areas in which the registrant expects to engage in lobbying activities on behalf of the client; and (B) to the extent practicable, specific issues that have (as of the date of the registration) already been addressed or are likely to be addressed in lobbying activities; (6) the name of each employee of the registrant who has acted or whom the registrant expects to act as a lobbyist on behalf of the client and, if any such employee has served as a covered executive branch official or a covered legislative branch official in the 20 years before the date on which the employee first acted as a lobbyist on behalf of the clien...

    32 other bills also change this section · Follow it → Official text at uscode.house.gov ↗

  • § 1604 Reports by registered lobbyists Amends

    2 U.S.C. § 1604 — at 1604(b)(1), 1604(b)(2)(C), and 1604(b)(2)

    The law today

    (a) Quarterly report No later than 20 days after the end of the quarterly period beginning on the first day of January, April, July, and October of each year in which a registrant is registered under section 1603 of this title, or on the first business day after such 20th day if the 20th day is not a business day, each registrant shall file a report with the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives on its lobbying activities during such quarterly period. A separate report shall be filed for each client of the registrant. (b) Contents of report Each quarterly report filed under subsection (a) shall contain— (1) the name of the registrant, the name of the client, and any changes or updates to the information provided in the initial registration, including information under section 1603(b)(3) of this title; (2) for each general issue area in which the registrant engaged in lobbying activities on behalf of the client during the quarterly period— (A) a list of the specific issues upon which a lobbyist employed by the registrant engaged in lobbying activities, including, to the maximum extent practicable, a list of bill numbers and references to specific executive branch actions; (B) a statement of the Houses of Congress and the Federal agencies contacted by lobbyists employed by the registrant on behalf of the client; (C) a list of the employees of the registrant who acted as lobbyists on behalf of the client; and (D) a description of the interest, if any, of any foreign entity identified under section 1603(b)(4) of this title in the specific issues listed under subparagraph (A); (3) in the case of a lobbying firm, a good faith estimate of the total amount of all income from the client (including any payments to the registrant by any other person for lobbying activities on behalf of the client) during the quarterly period, other than income for matters that are unrelated to lobbying activities; (4) in the case of a registrant engaged in lobbying activities on its own behalf, a good faith estimate of the total expenses that the registrant and its employees incurred in connection with lobbying activities during the quarterly period; (5) for each client, immediately after listing the client, an identification of whether the client is a State or local government or a department, agency, special purpose district, or other instrumentality controlled by one or more State or local governments; and (6) for any listed lobbyist who was convicted in a Federal or State court of an offense involving bribery, extortion, embezzlement, an illegal kickback, tax evasion, fraud, a conflict of interest, making a false statement, perjury, or money laundering, the date of the conviction and a description of the offense. (c) Estimates of income or expenses For purposes of this section, estimates of income or expenses shall be made as follows: (1) Estimates of amounts in excess of $5,000 shall be rounded to the nearest $10,000. (2) In the event income or expenses do not exceed $5,000, the registrant shall include a statement that income or expenses totaled less than $5,000 for the reporting period. (d) Semiannual reports on certain contributions (1) In general Not later than 30 days after the end of the semiannual period beginning on the first day of January and July of each year, or on the first business day after such 30th day if the 30th day is not a business day, each person or organization who is registered or is required to register under paragraph (1) or (2) of section 1603(a) of this title, and each employee who is or is required to be listed as a lobbyist under section 1603(b)(6) of this title or subsection (b)(2)(C) of this section, shall file a report with the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives containing— (A) the name of the person or organization; (B) in the case of an employee, his or her employer; (C) the names of all political committees established or controlled by the pers...

    22 other bills also change this section · Follow it → Official text at uscode.house.gov ↗

  • § 1605 Disclosure and enforcement Amends

    2 U.S.C. § 1605 — at 1605(a)(3), 1605(a)(3)(A), 1605(a), 1605(b)(1), and 1605(a)(3)(B)

    The law today

    (a) In general The Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives shall— (1) provide guidance and assistance on the registration and reporting requirements of this chapter and develop common standards, rules, and procedures for compliance with this chapter; (2) review, and, where necessary, verify and inquire to ensure the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of registration and reports; (3) develop filing, coding, and cross-indexing systems to carry out the purpose of this chapter, including— (A) a publicly available list of all registered lobbyists, lobbying firms, and their clients; and (B) computerized systems designed to minimize the burden of filing and maximize public access to materials filed under this chapter; (4) make available for public inspection and copying at reasonable times the registrations and reports filed under this chapter and, in the case of a report filed in electronic form under section 1604(e) of this title, make such report available for public inspection over the Internet as soon as technically practicable after the report is so filed; (5) retain registrations for a period of at least 6 years after they are terminated and reports for a period of at least 6 years after they are filed; (6) compile and summarize, with respect to each quarterly period, the information contained in registrations and reports filed with respect to such period in a clear and complete manner; (7) notify any lobbyist or lobbying firm in writing that may be in noncompliance with this chapter; (8) notify the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia that a lobbyist or lobbying firm may be in noncompliance with this chapter, if the registrant has been notified in writing and has failed to provide an appropriate response within 60 days after notice was given under paragraph (7); (9) maintain all registrations and reports filed under this chapter, and make them available to the public over the Internet, without a fee or other access charge, in a searchable, sortable, and downloadable manner, to the extent technically practicable, that— (A) includes the information contained in the registrations and reports; (B) is searchable and sortable to the maximum extent practicable, including searchable and sortable by each of the categories of information described in section 1603(b) or 1604(b) of this title; and (C) provides electronic links or other appropriate mechanisms to allow users to obtain relevant information in the database of the Federal Election Commission; (10) retain the information contained in a registration or report filed under this chapter for a period of 6 years after the registration or report (as the case may be) is filed; and (11) make publicly available, on a semiannual basis, the aggregate number of registrants referred to the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia for noncompliance as required by paragraph (8). (b) Enforcement report (1) Report The Attorney General shall report to the congressional committees referred to in paragraph (2), after the end of each semiannual period beginning on January 1 and July 1, the aggregate number of enforcement actions taken by the Department of Justice under this chapter during that semiannual period and, by case, any sentences imposed, except that such report shall not include the names of individuals, or personally identifiable information, that is not already a matter of public record. (2) Committees The congressional committees referred to in paragraph (1) are the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives.

    20 other bills also change this section · Follow it → Official text at uscode.house.gov ↗

  • § 1614 Annual audits and reports by Comptroller General Amends

    2 U.S.C. § 1614

    The law today

    (a) Audit On an annual basis, the Comptroller General shall audit the extent of compliance or noncompliance with the requirements of this chapter by lobbyists, lobbying firms, and registrants through a random sampling of publicly available lobbying registrations and reports filed under this chapter during each calendar year. (b) Reports to Congress (1) Annual reports Not later than April 1 of each year, the Comptroller General shall submit to the Congress a report on the review required by subsection (a) for the preceding calendar year. The report shall include the Comptroller General’s assessment of the matters required to be emphasized by that subsection and any recommendations of the Comptroller General to— (A) improve the compliance by lobbyists, lobbying firms, and registrants with the requirements of this chapter; and (B) provide the Department of Justice with the resources and authorities needed for the effective enforcement of this chapter. (2) Assessment of compliance The annual report under paragraph (1) shall include an assessment of compliance by registrants with the requirements of section 1603(b)(3) of this title. (c) Access to information The Comptroller General may, in carrying out this section, request information from and access to any relevant documents from any person registered under paragraph (1) or (2) of section 1603(a) of this title and each employee who is listed as a lobbyist under section 1603(b)(6) of this title or section 1604(b)(2)(C) of this title if the material requested relates to the purposes of this section. The Comptroller General may request such person to submit in writing such information as the Comptroller General may prescribe. The Comptroller General may notify the Congress in writing if a person from whom information has been requested under this subsection refuses to comply with the request within 45 days after the request is made.

    3 other bills also change this section · Follow it → Official text at uscode.house.gov ↗

How this bill changes current law

14 changes Share ↗

Compared against current U.S. Code AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act to enhance registration and reporting requirements for lobbyists by adding unique identification numbers and requiring disclosure of strategic lobbying services.

  • 2 U.S.C. 1605(a)(3)

    and → and

    This change allows for additional information to be added to the requirements for the filing and coding system.

  • 2 U.S.C. 1605(a)(3)

    ; → ; and (C) a system that assigns an identification number for each lobbyist for whom a registration or report is filed under this Act, each client of such a lobbyist, and each provider of strategic lobbying services on behalf of such client;

    This amendment establishes a system for assigning unique identification numbers to lobbyists, their clients, and providers of strategic lobbying services.

  • 2 U.S.C. 1603(b)(1)

    name, → name, unique identification number (if available at the time of registration),

    This change requires lobbyists to include their unique identification number in their registration statements if available.

  • 2 U.S.C. 1603(b)(2)

    name, → name, unique identification number (if available at the time of registration),

    This change requires clients' unique identification numbers to be included in registration statements.

  • 2 U.S.C. 1603(b)(6)

    the name → the name and unique identification number (if available at the time of registration)

    This change means that lobbyists must now provide their unique identification number in the registration statements.

  • 2 U.S.C. 1604(b)(1)

    the name of the registrant, the name of the client → the name and unique identification number of the registrant, the name and unique identification number of the client

    This change requires the inclusion of unique identification numbers of lobbyists and clients in quarterly reports.

  • 2 U.S.C. 1604(b)(2)(C)

    a list of the employees → a list of the names and unique identification numbers of the employees

    This change mandates that lobbyists include unique identification numbers for each employee in their reports.

  • 2 U.S.C. 1603(b)(6)

    expects to act as a lobbyist on behalf of the client and → expects to act as a lobbyist on behalf of the client, or who has been or who the registrant expects to be a provider of strategic lobbying services on behalf of the client, and

    This change expands the information required in registration statements to include those providing strategic lobbying services.

  • 2 U.S.C. 1604(b)(2)

    and → and

    This adds to the section, enabling the inclusion of additional reporting information.

  • 2 U.S.C. 1604(b)(2)

    and their clients → and their clients and providers of strategic lobbying services

    This extends the reporting requirements to include providers of strategic lobbying services.

  • 2 U.S.C. 1602

    the name of any individual employed → the name of any individual employed by such person who supervised the provision of such services, and, if the individual served as a covered executive branch official or a covered legislative branch official in the previous 20 years, a statement describing the position in which such individual served; and

    This change adds to the definition of strategic lobbying services, specifying what must be disclosed regarding individuals involved.

  • 2 U.S.C. 1605(a)

    the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia → the Attorney General

    This change updates the enforcement reference from the local U.S. Attorney to the Attorney General.

  • 2 U.S.C. 1605(b)(1)

    by case, any sentences imposed, except that such report shall not include the names of individuals, or personally identifiable information, that is not already a matter of public record → by case and by the name of the individual and (if applicable) the lobbying firm involved, any sentences imposed

    This amendment enhances the transparency of enforcement reports by requiring the inclusion of names of individuals involved.

  • 2 U.S.C. 1605(c)

    Recommendations To Promote Enforcement and Compliance.--The Attorney General, at any time, may make recommendations to Congress on steps to promote the enforcement of and compliance with this Act, including recommendations regarding the Attorney General's need for resources to carry out the enforcement of this Act.

    This new section allows the Attorney General to advise Congress on improving enforcement and compliance measures.

Action History

  1. Introduced in House

  2. Introduced in House

  3. Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 546 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (546)

546 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

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Frequently asked questions

What does HR 9693 do?
Lobbying Disclosure Reform Act of 2022 This bill makes a series of changes to requirements relating to registered lobbyists, including by requiring unique identification numbers for lobbyists, clients, and providers of strategic lobbying services, and by requiring additional disclosures and reporting with respect to such individuals and activities.
Who sponsors HR 9693?
HR 9693 is sponsored by Phillips, Dean (Democratic).
What is the current status of HR 9693?
This bill died with 117th Congress. It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track HR 9693?
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