BLAKE Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 931 To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit a former Member of Congress from serving as a lobbyist until the former Member has met any obligation imposed on the former Member under the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to reimburse the Treasury for amounts paid as settlements and awards under such Act in the case of an act com- mitted personally by the former Member. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JANUARY 30, 2019 Mr. WALKER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit a former Member of Congress from serving as a lobbyist until the former Member has met any obligation imposed on the former Member under the Congressional Account- ability Act of 1995 to reimburse the Treasury for amounts paid as settlements and awards under such Act in the case of an act committed personally by the former Member. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:34 Feb 12, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H931.IH H931 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HR 931 IH SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Bad Lawmakers Ac- 2 countability and Key Emends Act’’ or the ‘‘BLAKE Act’’. 3 SEC. 2. BAN ON LOBBYING BY FORMER MEMBERS OF CON- 4 GRESS FAILING TO MEET REQUIREMENT TO 5 REIMBURSE AMOUNTS PAID AS SETTLE- 6 MENTS AND AWARDS UNDER CONGRES- 7 SIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1995. 8 (a) BAN ON LOBBYING.— 9 (1) LOBBYING BY FORMER SENATORS.—Section 10 207(e)(1)(A) of title 18, United States Code, is 11 amended by striking ‘‘within 2 years after that per- 12 son leaves office’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘prior 13 to the expiration of the 2-year period which begins 14 on the date that person leaves office or prior to the 15 date by which that person meets any requirement of 16 section 415(d) of the Congressional Accountability 17 Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1415(d)) which applies to 18 that person to reimburse the Treasury for certain 19 awards and settlements paid under such Act (which- 20 ever occurs later)’’. 21 (2) LOBBYING BY FORMER MEMBERS OF THE 22 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.—Section 23 207(e)(1)(B) of such title is amended by striking 24 ‘‘within 1 year after that person leaves office’’ and 25 inserting the following: ‘‘prior to the expiration of 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:34 Feb 12, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H931.IH H931 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HR 931 IH the 1-year period which begins on the date that per- 1 son leaves office or prior to the date by which that 2 person meets any requirement of section 415(d) of 3 the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (2 4 U.S.C. 1415(d)) which applies to that person to re- 5 imburse the Treasury for certain awards and settle- 6 ments paid under such Act (whichever occurs 7 later)’’. 8 (b) BAN ON LOBBYING ON BEHALF OF FOREIGN 9 GOVERNMENTS.—Section 207(f)(1) of such title is amend- 10 ed by striking ‘‘within 1 year after leaving the position, 11 office, or employment referred to in such subsection’’ and 12 inserting the following: ‘‘prior to the expiration of the 1- 13 year period which begins on the date that person leaves 14 the position, office, or employment referred to in such sub- 15 section or, in the case of the position of Member of Con- 16 gress, prior to the date by which that person meets any 17 requirement of section 415(d) of the Congressional Ac- 18 countability Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1415(d)) which applies 19 to that person to reimburse the Treasury for certain 20 awards and settlements paid under such Act (whichever 21 occurs later)’’. 22 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 23 this section shall apply with respect to any individual who, 24 on or after the date of the enactment of this Act, leaves 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:34 Feb 12, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H931.IH H931 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •HR 931 IH an office to which section 207(e) or section 207(f) of title 1 18, United States Code, applies. 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:34 Feb 12, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H931.IH H931 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS