Title I - Enhancing Lobbying Disclosure

Sec. 101 - Requires quarterly filing, up from twice a year.

Sec. 102 - Requires electronic filing.

Sec. 103 - Requires an online, public database that is searchable, sortable.

Sec. 104 - Disclosure of past 7 years of government employment by registered lobbyists.

Sec. 105 - Disclosure of lobbyist contributions and gifts. Registered lobbyists must:

·         disclose contributions to Federal candidates, leadership PACs  and other PACs , political party committees; and,

·         disclose the amount of any gift that counts toward the cumulative limit (i.e. the $50/$100)

Sec. 106 - Raises civil penalty for failure to report from $50,000 to $100,000.

Title II - Slowing the Revolving Door, Drawing Brighter Lines for Members, Staff

Sec. 201 – Maintains post-employment ban at one year for Members and senior staff and requires new notification by the Clerk to the Member/staff and to any affected office of start-date and end-date of ban.

Sec. 202 - Requires disclosure by Members of commencement of employment compensation negotiations to Ethics Committee within 5 days, and requires Members in negotiation to refrain from voting if it would create a conflict of interest.

Sec. 203 - Restates current rules that Members may not condition official acts based on the employment decision of an outside entity.

Title III – Ban on Privately-funded Travel; Curbing Lobbyist Gifts

Sec. 301 – Suspends privately funded travel through the 109^th Congress.

Sec. 302 – Requires Ethics Committee to report recommendations on gifts and travel rules to the Rules Committee by December 15, 2006.

Sec. 303 – Prohibits registered lobbyists from accompanying members on corporate flights.

Sec. 304 - Requires price of sporting or entertainment tickets be valued at highest priced ticket to event if no face value listed. 

Title IV - Increased Oversight of Lobbying and Enforcement 

Sec. 401 – Requires random audits of lobbying reports filed by lobbyists by House Inspector General and permits IG to refer violations by lobbyists to the Department of Justice for prosecution.

Sec. 402 – Requires House IG to review lobbying disclosure forms and issue annual reports to the House.

Title V - Institutional Reforms - Transparency and Information for Members, Staff

Sec. 501 - Increases transparency in earmark process by;

·         requiring a list of earmarks, including sponsor’s name, included in a general appropriations bill or report accompanying  that bill’s report;

·         requiring the statement of managers accompanying a conference report include a listing of earmarks not included in either House or Senate bill, not included in list of earmarks accompanying the House report, and not included in the Senate report of the companion bill; and,

·         creating a question of consideration, debatable for 20 minutes, that would lie against  the rule for  a conference report which does not include a list of earmarks or the rule waiving the point of order

Sec. 502 - Requires mandatory ethics training for employees, new employees must complete training within in 30 days.  Members encouraged, but not required, to take ethics training.

Sec. 503 - Requires publication of new Ethics manual, including updates on changes in policies, every Congress.

Title VI - Reform of Section 527 Organizations

Applies Federal Campaign Election Act (FECA) restrictions to 527s so that they can no longer raise unlimited amounts of money, and it eliminates restrictions on party coordinated expenditures.  Establishes a $25,000 maximum contribution limit to non-Federal accounts and $5,000 maximum contribution limit to Federal accounts.  The Federal contribution would count against an individuals aggregate contribution limit.

Title VII - Forfeiture of Retirement Benefits

Sec. 701 - Members lose government-contributions to Congressional pension if convicted of bribery or acting as a foreign agent (including conspiracy charges).  Allows Office of Personnel Management, in the “totality of the circumstances,” to allow for spouses or dependent children to receive pension.