Lobbying Reform Act

Liberty
,
1

Here’s a draft for a bill aimed at regulating or outlawing corporate lobbying to protect the interests of the American people:

Bill Title: The Corporate Lobbying Reform Act

Section 1: Purpose
The purpose of this Act is to reduce the influence of corporate lobbying on government decision-making and to ensure that the interests of the American people are prioritized in the legislative process.

Section 2: Definitions

  • Corporate Lobbying: Any attempt by a corporation or its representatives to influence legislation, regulations, or governmental policies.
  • Lobbyist: Any individual who is employed by or acts on behalf of a corporation for the purpose of lobbying.
  • Corporation: Any legal entity, including but not limited to corporations, partnerships, and limited liability companies, that is organized for profit.

Section 3: Lobbying Regulations

  1. Prohibition of Corporate Lobbying:

    • No corporation shall engage in lobbying efforts aimed at influencing legislation or governmental policies at the federal, state, or local level.

  2. Restrictions on Lobbyists:

    • Individuals employed by corporations to influence policy shall not be permitted to lobby government officials.
    • All current corporate lobbyists must register as non-profit organizations if they wish to continue advocating for policy changes.

  3. Transparency Requirements:

    • Any organization engaging in lobbying activities must disclose their funding sources, expenditures, and specific lobbying efforts to the public.

Section 4: Penalties

  1. Violations:

    • Any corporation found to be in violation of this Act shall be subject to fines up to $1 million for each offense.
    • Individuals acting as lobbyists for corporations shall face civil penalties, including fines and potential disqualification from future lobbying activities.

  2. Whistleblower Protections:

    • Employees of corporations who report violations of this Act shall be protected from retaliation and may receive financial rewards for their disclosures.

Section 5: Enforcement

  1. Establishment of Oversight Committee:

    • An independent Oversight Committee shall be established to monitor compliance with this Act, investigate violations, and implement necessary reforms.

  2. Annual Reporting:

    • The Oversight Committee shall submit an annual report to Congress detailing compliance, violations, and recommendations for further reform.

Section 6: Effective Date
This Act shall take effect six months after its enactment.

Section 7: Severability
If any provision of this Act is found to be unconstitutional or otherwise invalid, the remaining provisions shall continue to be effective.

This draft serves as a foundational framework for a bill aimed at regulating corporate lobbying. It would need to be refined and reviewed by legal experts and lawmakers before being introduced in a legislative context.

5 Likes
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I think Lobbying should be outlawed all together. What is the Difference between Lobbying and Bribery???
Thanks

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Agreed.

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Basically, there should not be a job called lobbyist or a company that does lobbying or a lobbying industry. Of course, people and employees of companies should be able to lobby the Government for their interests, but it should be done through the various means of correspondence or through websites such as these. ZERO money should be involved to use to influence representatives or to “get the votes.”

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In this day and age, I’m not sure physical lobbying should even be legal. Why not implement something like this site where lobbiest and the public interact together. Present their ideas and comment on the merits.

No proposed laws can come to the floor without having passed through this site, it takes the back door deals off the table. Talk about transparent!

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I agree that lobbying needs to be stopped legislatively. I do not agree with paying whistle blowers. It just seems wrong to pay a person to tell the truth.

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I love this…but as an addendum, Make “sensible” lobbying easier for the PEOPLE to do. And cheaper. It’s expensive to lobby for a goal for the typical blue collar american.

1 Like