H.R. 2316, The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007

• This item is from the 110th Congress (2007-2008) and is no longer current. Comments, voting, and wiki editing have been disabled, and the cost/savings estimate has been frozen.

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H.R. 2316 would provide more rigorous requirements with respect to disclosure and enforcement of lobbying laws and regulations.

Detailed Summary

Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 - Extends from one to two years the ban on former senior and very senior executive personnel, former Members of Congress, legislative branch officers and employees, and such individuals who represent foreign entities from making lobbying contacts 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 and congressional staff of employment negotiations.

Subjects to fines and penalties a Member of Congress or a congressional employee who wrongfully influences, on a partisan basis, an entity's employment decisions or practices.

Amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (LDA) to require: (1) quarterly instead of semiannual filing of lobbying disclosures reports; (2) electronic filing; (3) disclosure of registered lobbyist contributions; (4) disclosure by registered lobbyists of all past executive and congressional employment; and (5) maintenance of certain lobbying disclosure information in an electronic data base, available to the public free of charge over the Internet.

Amends the LDA to prohibit a registered lobbyist from making a gift or providing travel to a Member, officer, or employee of Congress, unless the gift or travel may be accepted under the rules of the House of Representatives or the Senate.

Revises criteria, with regard to disclosure requirements, for determining a coalition or association of groups that retain a person to conduct lobbying activities.

Makes amendments made by this Act inapplicable to political committee activities described in the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971.

Amends the LDA to increase the penalty for failure to comply with lobbying disclosure requirements.

Amends the Rules of the House to require a Member of the House to prohibit all of his or her staff from having any official contact with the Member's spouse if such individual is a registered lobbyist or is employed or retained by a registered lobbyist to influence legislation.

Requires the Clerk of the House to: (1) post certain travel and financial disclosure reports on the public Internet site of the Clerk's Office; and (2) maintain such information for at least six years after receiving such information.

Status of the Legislation

Latest Major Action: 6/4/2007: Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 182.

Points in Favor

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Points Against

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