Skip to main content
H.R. 2412 109th Congress House

Special Interest Lobbying and Ethics Accountability Act of 2005

Official title: To provide more rigorous requirements with respect to ethics and lobbying.

Introduced: May 17, 2005 See on congress.gov
Government Operations and Politics Administrative remediesAssociations, institutions, etc.Campaign fundsCivil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
CommerceConflict of interestsCongressCongressional agenciesCongressional committees (House)Congressional employeesCongressional ethicsCongressional hearingsCongressional investigationsCongressional publicityCongressional reorganizationCongressional reporting requirementsCongressional travelCrime and Law EnforcementData banksElectronic data interchangeElectronic government informationEmployee selectionEx-Members of CongressFederal advisory bodiesFederal employeesFederal officialsFinancial disclosureFines (Penalties)Freedom of informationGiftsGovernment and businessGovernment ethicsGovernment paperworkGovernment publicityHouse AdministrationHouse JudiciaryHouse Standards of Official ConductHouse of RepresentativesHouse rules and procedureInternetLabor and EmploymentLawLegislationLobbyingMass mediaMembers of CongressOffice of Government EthicsPolitical advertisingPolitical partiesRemoval of officialsScience, Technology, CommunicationsSenate rules and procedureTravel costs
This bill died when the 109th Congress ended
It never became law before the 109th Congress (2005–2006) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 17, 2005
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Standards of Official Conduct, and Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
May 17, 2005
Introduced in House
 Ask about this bill AI · grounded in the bill text

Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.

AI answers can be imperfect; always confirm against the full bill text.

 Latest action May 17, 2005

Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Standards of Official Conduct, and Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Special Interest Lobbying and Ethics Accountability Act of 2005 - Amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to require: (1) quarterly instead of semiannual filing of lobbying disclosures reports; (2) electronic filing; (3) maintenance of certain lobbying disclosure information in an electronic data base, available to the public free of charge over the Internet; (4) identification of each executive official and Member of Congress with whom lobbying contacts are made; (5) disclosure by registered lobbyists of all past executive and congressional employment; and (6) disclosure of grassroots lobbying communications by paid lobbyists.

Extends from one to two years the ban on lobbying contacts by former senior and very senior executive personnel, former Members of Congress, and officers and employees of the legislative branch with any officer or employee of the entity in which such person served before his or her tenure terminated.

Requires public disclosure by Members of Congress of employment negotiations.

Subjects to fines and penalties a Member of Congress or an employee of the House who wrongfully influences, on a partisan basis, an entity's employment decisions or practices.

Amends the Code of Official Conduct in the House to prohibit favoritism.

Requires certification that congressional travel meets certain conditions, and establishes civil fines for false certifications.

Requires the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to develop and revise guidelines on reasonable expenses or expenditures for official government travel.

Calls for reviews and semiannual reports by the Comptroller General on activities carried out by the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate under the Act, subject to congressional committee hearings.

Increases the penalty for failure to comply with lobbying disclosure requirements.

Requires appointment of a bipartisan ethics task force to make recommendations on: (1) strengthening ethics oversight and enforcement in the House; and (2) providing the resources necessary to accomplish this goal.

 Related & companion bills 4
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 3
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 2412: Special Interest Lobbying and Ethics Accountability Act of 2005. 109th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/109-HR-2412/
MLA
"H.R. 2412: Special Interest Lobbying and Ethics Accountability Act of 2005." 109th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/109-HR-2412/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 2412, 109th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/109-HR-2412/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 2412: Special Interest Lobbying and Ethics Accountability Act of 2005](https://openamerica.io/bill/109-HR-2412/)
Report a problem