What This Bill Does
This bill changes the rules for former Members of Congress and Congressional staff members who want to work as lobbyists after leaving office. The bill makes the waiting periods longer before they can lobby Congress and lowers the income threshold used to determine who must follow these rules.
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Who It Affects
- Former Senators
- Former Members of the House of Representatives
- Former elected officers of the House of Representatives
- Former officers and staff of the Senate
- Former personal staff of House Members
- Former committee staff of the House
- Former leadership staff of the House
- Former staff of other legislative offices of Congress
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Key Provisions
- Former Senators and former House Members cannot lobby Congress for 5 years after leaving office, with the intent to influence any Member, officer or employee of Congress on behalf of any other person except the United States (Sec. 2)
- Former officers of the House of Representatives cannot lobby the House for 2 years after leaving office with the intent to influence any Member, officer or employee of the House on behalf of any other person except the United States (Sec. 3)
- Former officers and staff of the Senate, personal staff of House Members, committee staff, leadership staff, and staff of other legislative offices cannot lobby Congress for 2 years after leaving office with the intent to influence Congress members on behalf of any other person except the United States (Sec. 3)
- The income threshold for applying lobbying restrictions lowers from 75 percent of basic pay to 50 percent of basic pay (Sec. 3)
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What Changes
Former Members of Congress and Congressional staff will need to wait longer before they can work as lobbyists. The waiting period increases from one year to two years for most Congressional staff. Former Senators and House Members now wait five years instead of two years. More Congressional employees become subject to these lobbying restrictions because the income threshold is lowered.
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Important Definitions
None defined in bill text.
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Effective Date
The changes apply to any individual who leaves their position on or after the date the bill becomes law (Sec. 2(b) and Sec. 3(c)).
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 2514
To amend title 18, United States Code, to establish a uniform 5-year post-
employment ban on all lobbying by former Members of Congress, to
establish a uniform 2-year post-employment ban on all lobbying by former
officers and employees of Congress, to lower the income threshold for
applying such ban to former officers and employees of Congress, and
for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 6, 2023
Mr. POSEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on the Judiciary
A BILL
To amend title 18, United States Code, to establish a uni-
form 5-year post-employment ban on all lobbying by
former Members of Congress, to establish a uniform
2-year post-employment ban on all lobbying by former
officers and employees of Congress, to lower the income
threshold for applying such ban to former officers and
employees of Congress, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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•HR 2514 IH
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
1
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Public Service Integ-
2
rity Act’’.
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SEC. 2. RESTRICTIONS ON LOBBYING BY FORMER MEM-
4
BERS OF CONGRESS.
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(a) 5-YEAR POST-EMPLOYMENT BAN ON ALL LOB-
6
BYING.—
7
(1) FORMER SENATORS.—Subparagraph (A) of
8
section 207(e)(1) of title 18, United States Code, is
9
amended by striking ‘‘within 2 years after that per-
10
son leaves office’’ and inserting ‘‘within 5 years after
11
that person leaves office’’.
12
(2) FORMER MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REP-
13
RESENTATIVES.—Paragraph (1) of section 207(e) of
14
such title is amended by striking subparagraph (B)
15
and inserting the following:
16
‘‘(B) MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REP-
17
RESENTATIVES.—Any person who is a Member
18
of the House of Representatives and who, with-
19
in 5 years after that person leaves office, know-
20
ingly makes, with the intent to influence, any
21
communication to or appearance before any
22
Member, officer, or employee of either House of
23
Congress and any employee of any other legisla-
24
tive office of the Congress, on behalf of any
25
other person (except the United States) in con-
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•HR 2514 IH
nection with any matter on which such former
1
Member seeks action by a Member, officer, or
2
employee of either House of Congress, in his or
3
her official capacity, shall be punished as pro-
4
vided in section 216 of this title.
5
‘‘(C) OFFICERS OF THE HOUSE OF REP-
6
RESENTATIVES.—Any person who is an elected
7
officer of the House of Representatives and
8
who, within 1 year after that person leaves of-
9
fice, knowingly makes, with the intent to influ-
10
ence, any communication to or appearance be-
11
fore any Member, officer, or employee of the
12
House of Representatives, on behalf of any
13
other person (except the United States) in con-
14
nection with any matter on which such former
15
elected officer seeks action by a Member, offi-
16
cer, or employee of either House of Congress, in
17
his or her official capacity, shall be punished as
18
provided in section 216 of this title.’’.
19
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by
20
this section shall apply with respect to any individual who,
21
on or after the date of the enactment of this Act, leaves
22
an office to which section 207(e)(1) of title 18, United
23
States Code, applies.
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•HR 2514 IH
SEC. 3. RESTRICTIONS ON LOBBYING BY FORMER OFFI-
1
CERS AND EMPLOYEES OF CONGRESS.
2
(a) 2-YEAR POST-EMPLOYMENT BAN ON ALL LOB-
3
BYING.—
4
(1) FORMER OFFICERS OF THE HOUSE OF REP-
5
RESENTATIVES.—Subparagraph
(C)
of
section
6
207(e)(1) of title 18, United States Code, as amend-
7
ed by section 2(a)(2), is amended by striking ‘‘with-
8
in 1 year’’ and inserting ‘‘within 2 years’’.
9
(2) FORMER
OFFICERS
AND
STAFF
OF
THE
10
SENATE.—Paragraph (2) of section 207(e) of such
11
title is amended by striking ‘‘within 1 year’’ and in-
12
serting ‘‘within 2 years’’.
13
(3) FORMER PERSONAL STAFF OF MEMBERS OF
14
THE
HOUSE
OF
REPRESENTATIVES.—Paragraph
15
(3)(A) of section 207(e) of such title is amended by
16
striking ‘‘within 1 year’’ and inserting ‘‘within 2
17
years’’.
18
(4) FORMER COMMITTEE STAFF OF HOUSE OF
19
REPRESENTATIVES.—Paragraph
(4)
of
section
20
207(e) of such title is amended by striking ‘‘within
21
1 year’’ and inserting ‘‘within 2 years’’.
22
(5) FORMER LEADERSHIP STAFF OF HOUSE OF
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REPRESENTATIVES.—Paragraph (5)(A) of section
24
207(e) of such title is amended by striking ‘‘within
25
1 year’’ and inserting ‘‘within 2 years’’.
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•HR 2514 IH
(6) FORMER
STAFF
OF
OTHER
LEGISLATIVE
1
OFFICES OF CONGRESS.—Paragraph (6)(A) of sec-
2
tion 207(e) of such title is amended by striking
3
‘‘within 1 year’’ and inserting ‘‘within 2 years’’.
4
(b) LOWERING INCOME THRESHOLD FOR APPLICA-
5
TION OF RESTRICTIONS.—Paragraph (7)(A) of section
6
207(e) of such title is amended by striking ‘‘75 percent
7
of the basic rate of pay’’ and inserting ‘‘50 percent of the
8
basic rate of pay’’.
9
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by
10
this section shall apply with respect to any individual who,
11
on or after the date of the enactment of this Act, leaves
12
a position to which section 207(e) of title 18, United
13
States Code, applies.
14
Æ
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