Legislative Activities Disclosure Act

Legislative Activities Disclosure Act - Finds that the preservation of responsible representative government requires that the fullest opportunity be afforded to the people to petition the government and to express to Members of Congress their opinions on legislative issues, that opposing opinions should be available to Congress, and that the identity and activities of persons who engage in efforts to persuade Congress to arrive at specific legislative results should be disclosed at reasonable times. Declares it to be the purpose of the Act to provide for the disclosure of the activities of lobbyists. Requires each legislative agent, as defined by this Act, to file, within five days after making his initial covered communication to influence legislation, a notice of representation with the Comptroller General. Establishes minimal standards for the content of the representation to be required by the Comptroller General. Requires the legislative agent to file with the Comptroller any information required to keep his records complete and accurate. Requires such records to be maintained by the legislative agent, any person who retains a legislative agent, any officer or employee who receives pay for his services as such an officer or employee and who makes a covered communication on behalf of a legislative agent. Requires any legislative agent to file a report with the Comptroller General within fifteen days after the close of each filing period. Establishes minimal standards to be required by the Comptroller for such reports. Authorizes the Comptroller to appoint an executive staff member to carry out the duties of the Comptroller under the Act. Directs the Comptroller to develop and prescribe forms and standards for the required notices of representation and reports, to transmit to Congress periodically a compilation or summary of the information contained in such representations and reports, and to make available for public inspection all notices of representation, amendments thereto, and reports required by the Act. Requires the Comptroller to publish proposed regulations, to allow opportunity for interested parties to submit suggestions, and to transmit his proposed regulations to the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Government Operations of the Senate. Authorizes the Attorney General to initiate a civil action against any person failing to comply with a provision adopted under the Act. Prescribes a maximum fine of $5,000 for any willful violation of the Act or for any willful misrepresentation under the Act. Repeals the Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act.

Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on January 3, 1973. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.

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