To prohibit gifts by lobbyists to Members of the House of Representatives, Senators, and officers and employees of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Latest action. Referred to the subcommitteeA smaller panel inside a standing committee with jurisdiction over a slice of its subject matter. Most hearings and the first markup usually happen here.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) on the Constitution.
Prohibits a lobbyist who is registered under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 from providing any gift to a Member of the House of Representatives, a Senator, or an officer or employee of the House or Senate unless the lobbyist is related to the individual. Considers a gift to a family member to be a gift to such individual if given with his or her knowledge and acquiescence and if there is reason to believe that the gift was given because of such individual's official position. Includes among exempted items: (1) contributions lawfully made under the Federal Election Campaign Act, a lawful contribution for election to a State or local government, or attendance at a fund raising event sponsored by a political organization; (2) anything provided on the basis of a personal friendship unless such individual has reason to believe that the gift was provided because of his or her official position; (3) otherwise lawful contributions to such individual's legal expense fund; (4) food, refreshments, lodging, transportation, and other benefits which result from the outside business or employment activities of such individual or spouse if such benefits have not been offered or enhanced because of such individual's official position, which are customarily provided by a prospective employer in connection with bona fide employment discussions, or which are provided by a political organization in connection with a fund raising or campaign event; (5) training that is in the House's or Senate's interest; (6) a gift of personal hospitality of an individual other than a registered lobbyist or agent of a foreign principal; and (7) certain other opportunities and benefits provided to the public or to Government employees generally.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on March 21, 1996. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on March 28, 1996: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 104th Congress (1995-96), 333 of the 6,806 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
JON FOX (R-PA) introduced it on March 21, 1996. No cosponsors are recorded.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on March 21, 1996, 11131 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 11124 days ago, on March 28, 1996.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 104th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1997 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers