This bill aims to restrict the movement of federal officials and lobbyists between government and lobbying positions. It imposes a lifetime ban on Members of Congress from lobbying Congress after they leave office, and extends the lobbying restriction period for congressional staff from one year to six years. The bill also prohibits registered lobbyists and foreign agents from being hired by Members of Congress or their committees for six years after they stop lobbying those same officials, though this can be waived by congressional ethics committees for compelling national need. To improve transparency, the legislation requires creation of a searchable public website called "lobbyists.gov" and mandates that large lobbying firms report their former government employees annually. Finally, it increases penalties for violating lobbying disclosure rules from $200,000 to $500,000 and authorizes $100,000 in funding for fiscal year 2026 to build and maintain the disclosure database.
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