Kilroy Works to Bring Sunshine to Washington's Darkest Corners

Press Release

Following U.S. Representative Mary Jo Kilroy's (OH-15) actions to strengthen the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, Kilroy today announced introduction of a bill that will force the special interest lobbyists who tried to change the bill on behalf of Wall Street's greediest to comply with the rules. H.R. 5751, the Fee on Lobbyists Act,would properly enforce the rules for federal lobbyists and special interest groups by funding the offices that are tasked with holding lobbyists accountable.

"As I sat on the Wall Street reform conference committee that brought teeth to reform on behalf of the central Ohio families and small businesses, lobbyists did their best to create new loopholes for special interests that might again lead our economy off a cliff," said Kilroy. "It's time to stop the politics as usual approach and bring sunshine to what they are doing."

The bill would institute an annual fee on federal lobbyists to bolster and enhance the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives and Secretary of the U.S. Senate's ability to process and review lobbying registration forms. This common sense legislation will ensure that the special interests comply with the rules. The Clerk of the House and Secretary of Senate will also use funds to make their disclosure databases more user-friendly.

The Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 requires federally registered lobbyists to report legislative objectives, income and expenses incurred while lobbying Congress. Mandated by the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007, a recent GAO study found the need for more transparency and accountability for special interest influence in government. While a majority of lobbyists are filing with the Clerk of the House and Secretary of the Senate, the study highlights loopholes, slack reporting and ignorance of the law.

Several states, including Ohio, already require fees for lobbyists in their State Houses.

Specifics of the bill are below:
· Requires lobbyists to pay an annual fee of $25 each to the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Secretary of the U.S. Senate for each client they have, resulting in a $50 fee to lobby for both Houses of Congress per client. Fees will apply 60 days after enactment of the law, and any new registrant within 180 days of the 1st relevant quarter of the year would be exempt from making double payments.
· Requires a $500 penalty to be assessed for late filings. Penalties double for repeat offenders.
· All funds collected as penalties and fees will be available to the Clerk and Secretary for the purposes of enforcing the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995.
· The Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Secretary of the U.S. Senate of will also maintain a public list of delinquent filers, and reconcile the differences between their two respective databases.

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