H.R. 351 — Introduced in House

I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 351 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 12, 2023 Mr. Van Orden introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To amend section 207 of title 18, United States Code, to ban former Senators and Members of the House of Representatives from lobbying Congress and the executive branch, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Ban Congressmen Lobbyists Act. 2. Lifetime lobbying ban for former Members of Congress (a) Lobbying the executive branch Section 207(e)(1) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end a new subparagraph: (C) Members of Congress and the executive branch Any person who is a Member of the House of Representatives or a Senator and who, at any point after that person leaves office, knowingly makes, with the intent to influence, any communication to or appearance before any officer or employee of any department, agency, court, or court-martial of the United States on behalf of any other person (except the United States) in connection with a particular matter— (i) in which the United States is a party or has a direct and substantial interest, (ii) in which the person participated personally and substantially as such officer or employee, and (iii) which involved a specific party or specific parties at the time of such participation, shall be punished as provided in section 216 of this title. . (b) Lobbying Congress Section 207(e)(1) of title 18, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subparagraph (A) by striking , within 2 years after and inserting , at any point after; and (2) in subparagraph (B)— (A) in clause (i) by striking Any person who is a Member and inserting Except as provided in clause (iv), any person who is a Member; and (B) by adding at the end the following new clause: (iv) In the case of a person who is a Member of the House of Representatives referred to in clause (i), the restriction under such clause applies to such person at any point after such person leaves office. . (c) Application The amendments made by this section shall apply to any person who is a Member of Congress during the One Hundred and Eighteenth Congress or any succeeding Congress.