Proposed Law: The Transparency and Accountability in Representation Act
Section 1: Title
This Act shall be known as the Transparency and Accountability in Representation Act (TARA).
Section 2: Purpose
The purpose of this Act is to guarantee the public the right to know what their elected representatives and senators are doing with regard to but not limited to campaign donations, campaign expenditures, legislative activity, and lobbying activity, by requiring reporting and disclosure that adds transparency, accountability, and trust in government.
Section 3: Definitions
- Representative/Senator: Any elected member of the House of Representatives or the Senate of the United States.
- Campaign Donations: Any financial contribution that is made to political campaigns, which include monetary and in-kind donations from individuals, organizations, or PACs (Political Action Committees).
- Campaign Spending: Any expenditure of campaign funds made to influence an election, such as advertising, staff salaries, cost of venues, and other materials related to campaigning.
- Legislative Activities: Any action undertaken by a representative or senator to propose, sponsor, or vote on legislation, including committee work.
- Lobbying: The communication by any individual, group, or entity seeking to influence legislation or government policy in any way.
Section 4: Public Access to Campaign Donation and Spending Records
- Disclosure Requirement: Every elected representative and senator shall publicly disclose their campaign donations and spending within 7 days from receipt or expenditure.
- The disclosure shall be made with the name of the donor, the amount donated, and the date of donation.
- All expenditures shall be itemized to show the purpose of the expense, recipient, and the date of transaction.
- Public Database: All campaign donations and expenditures shall be placed in a publicly accessible online database, searchable on donor name, recipient, amount, and date, as well as category of expenditure. The public shall have access to said database free of charge.
Section 5: Legislative Activity Transparency
- Record of Legislative Actions: All voting records, bill sponsorships, and bill co-sponsorships shall be freely available to the public in real time.
- Disclosures of Lobbying Interactions: Representatives and senators are supposed to disclose meetings or communications with any lobbyists or organizations that advocate legislation, including, but not limited to:
- Date of meeting/communication
- Name of lobbyist or representative of the organization
- A brief summary of the topic discussed.
- Public Portal for Legislative and Lobbying Information: The Congressional Research Service shall develop and maintain a public portal that provides a real-time feed of all legislative actions, votes, sponsorships, and any lobbying interactions. This portal shall be updated no less than once every 24 hours.
Section 6: Availability of Records
- Online Availability: All disclosures, legislative activity records, and lobbying contacts shall be available online through the official websites of government bodies.
-Records should be in downloadable, user-friendly formats that may be easily sorted by date, individual, or subject matter. - Request for Clarification: The citizens have the right to request further clarification or details related to campaign finance records or legislative activities from the representative’s or senator’s office, as may be applicable. Requests are to be answered within 15 business days.
Section 7: Penalties for Non-Compliance
- Failure to Disclose: Any elected representative or senator who fails to disclose such information required by this Act shall be subject to fines and/or disciplinary action by the appropriate legislative ethics committee.
- First-time offenses will incur fines up to $10,000.
- Repeated offenses will result in fines up to $50,000 or potential removal from office.
- Record-Keeping Failure: A representative or senator who fails to maintain proper records of their legislative activities or contacts with lobbyists may be publicly reprimanded, suspended, or expelled according to the Congressional Ethics Committees.
Section 8: Public Education and Outreach
- Public Awareness Campaign: The FEC and CRS shall conduct a national public awareness campaign to inform citizens about how to utilize the public portals and access information on campaign finance, legislative activities, and lobbying interactions.
- Transparency Reports: The FEC shall publish annually a transparency report that evaluates the success of this Act, including the ease of public accessibility and usability of the public portals, and any challenges in implementation.
Section 9: Funding
- Government Funding: The U.S. Congress shall appropriate funds to carry out and sustain the public portals, databases, and public awareness campaigns.
- Private Sector Support: The government may accept private donations for the purpose of enhancing the transparency infrastructure, so long as these donations are not accepted from any entity with a vested interest in the legislative activities of elected officials.
This Act shall take effect on date of the law signed by the President , and shall apply to all local, state, and federal representatives including senators beginning with the start of the 2025 legislative session. This proposed law is dedicated to ensuring that citizens have constant access alongside information they need to hold their elected officials accountable: make transparent campaign donations and spending, as well as legislative activities, in order to reduce the influence of money in politics and promote a government truly responsive to the people, as intended by the founding fathers.