Honest Leadership and Open Government Act 0f 2007
Lobbying Disclosure Act Guidance (updated July 16, 2008)
Notices and Announcements
Frequently Asked Questions – Registration and Reporting (Windows)
Frequently Asked Questions – Registration and Reporting (Macintosh)
Frequently Asked Questions – Contribution Reporting
November 2008
In light of the thousands of new filers and the significant new disclosures required by the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, we are considering revising and providing additional guidance. Comments and suggestions should be directed to the Senate Office of Public Records and the House Legislative Resource Center in time for evaluation before the next reporting cycle.
October 2008
Quarterly Report Filing Reminder
The Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, as amended by the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007, requires those who have registered as lobbyists to file quarterly activity reports with the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Secretary of the U.S. Senate. The third quarterly report is due Monday, October 20, 2008, covering July 1, 2008 through September 30, 2008.
July 16, 2008
In order to accommodate the thousands of new filers who are required to participate in the LD203 disclosure process, we have amended our guidance to provide some clarification and assist new filers in the completion of the LD203 form.
June 2008
LD-203 Contributions Reporting System
The Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Secretary of the U.S. Senate are pleased to announce the release of the LD-203 Contribution Reporting system, effective June 30, 2008.
The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 requires lobbying registrants and individual lobbyists to file a semi-annual report of certain contributions, along with a certification that the filer understands the gift and travel rules of both the House and the Senate. These reports are due by July 30th (for the January through June reporting period) and by January 30th (for the July through December reporting period) or the next business day should either of those days fall on a weekend or holiday. Registrants, and each of their lobbyists, who were active for all or part of the semi-annual reporting period must file separate reports detailing certain FECA contributions, honorary contributions, presidential library contributions, and payments for event costs.
The Contribution Reporting system will provide access to a pre-populated contribution form for each filer. Access to this system is based on current LDA registrations and reports with the House and Senate. Each filer must sign into the system with a User ID and password. Based on the User ID, the filer will be able to update contact information, create a new filing for a reporting period, and file their form. All communications regarding filing and account status are automated and will be sent to the address on file for an account via email.
Registrants will use the same ID and password that are used to file other lobbying disclosure forms to sign into the system, and must verify the registered lobbyist name before an account can be created for each employee. When a lobbyist name has been verified by the employer, the lobbyist must create a unique password before access to the system is permitted.
Features of the new system and filing process include:
- Automated retrieval of lobbyist ID numbers and passwords;
- Pre-populated forms containing the appropriate ID numbers and names, as well as contact information, for each filer;
- Filings that can be saved on the system and retrieved to append before filing or to amend after filing;
- A streamlined process to file forms with the House and Senate with a single button to sign the form with your ID and password and submit it;
- An online help manual and demonstrations accessible from each screen;
- A system that works on Windows and Macintosh computers, requiring only a User ID and password to create and file forms.
To assist you, training is available on DVD (which will be mailed to each active registrant) and online from our Web sites. These tutorials will show you, step-by-step, how to use the new filing system. To provide ongoing support, a written User Manual, a Troubleshooting Guide and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are also available from the Web site listed below.
To access the Contributions Reporting system:
https://ld.congress.gov:4433/LC/
| For help with electronic filing and lobbyist accounts: | For help with registrant IDs and passwords: |
|---|---|
House Legislative Resource Center |
Senate Office of Public Records |
March 2008
Quarterly Report Filing Reminder
The Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, as amended by the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007, requires those who have registered as a lobbyist to file quarterly reports with the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Secretary of the U.S. Senate. The first quarterly report is due Monday, April 21, 2008, covering January 1, 2008 through March 31, 2008.
To assist filers with the new quarterly forms, the Appendix section of the Windows and Macintosh online help manuals have been updated with the following information:
- New line by line instructions for the quarterly forms;
- A list of federal agency names for line 17.
Please note that updates regarding the new semi-annual contribution form and lobbyist ID’s and passwords will be released in the near future.
Information on acquiring a registrant ID and password to file registrations and reports electronically, as well as helpful filing instructions, can be obtained from the House or the Senate lobbying disclosure links listed below:
| http://lobbyingdisclosure.house.gov | http://www.senate.gov/lobby |
If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact either of the offices listed below:
| House Legislative Resource Center 202-226-5200 LobbyInfo@mail.house.gov |
Senate Office of Public Records 202-224-0758 Lobby@sec.senate.gov |
March 2008
Lobbying Disclosure Forms Update
The Clerk of the House and The Secretary of the Senate are pleased to announce that the LD-2 quarterly reporting form was released on March 3, 2008. To assist filers that may need to file reports or amendments for previous semiannual reporting periods, a new Forms Archive section is now available on the Forms and Software page for Windows and Macintosh users.
This section contains the semiannual report form (LD-2) version 6.0.0 that must be signed using the Senate ID and password, and will be submitted to both the House and Senate at the same time.
Please note that you may continue to file previous versions of the semiannual reporting forms until March 15, 2008, but they must be filed with the House and Senate separately and are no longer available on the Lobbying Disclosure website.
January 25, 2008
LDA Guideline Revision
The Clerk of the House and The Secretary of the Senate have revised the written guidance on Lobbying Disclosure registration and reporting requirements. This revision clarifies changes made to the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 by Sections 208 and 215 of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act regarding Additional Disclosure of Past Governmental Employment as a covered official.
January 2008
LD-1 Registration Forms Now Available
The Clerk of the House and The Secretary of the Senate are pleased to announce that the LD-1 Registration form is now available for use after January 1, 2008. The LD-2 Quarterly reporting form will be released on March 3, 2008. The semiannual contribution form LD-203 will be available in the near future.
Electronic filing for both the House and Senate is mandatory, effective January 1, 2008. To successfully file your forms electronically, you need the following materials:
- The most current version of the LD-1 and LD-2 forms
- The correct House and Senate ID numbers
- A Senate password
Please note that you may continue to file previous versions of the semiannual reporting forms until March 15, 2008, but they must be filed with the House and Senate separately.
To verify the House ID numbers of active clients, please use the links below or call the Legislative Resource Center at 202-226-5200:
To verify the Senate ID numbers or to obtain a Senate Password, please use the appropriate link below or call the Senate Office of Public Records at 202-224-0758:
December 2007
Single Filing Location for House and Senate Filings
The Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate are pleased to advise you of the following new lobby report filing procedures resulting from the passage of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-81), which amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995. The Secretary and the Clerk have combined their filing processes so that you may file your forms at a single location that does not require an ACES digital signature.
As of December 10, 2007, new registration and reporting forms will be available that enable simultaneous filing with the Clerk and the Secretary using a Senate password. These forms, version 5.0.1, may be used for the 2007 Year End filing period and are available on the Windows and Macintosh Forms and Software page.
Previously issued registration and reporting forms that use the digital signature will be accepted by the Secretary and the Clerk until March 15, 2008. After this date, you must use the new version 5.0.1 forms that file electronically at a single location with the Senate password.
We invite you to join the Lobbying Disclosure subscribers list, so that you are notified via email of future filing deadlines and pertinent information regarding Lobbying Disclosure Filing Procedures.
For further information, please contact the Legislative Resource Center at 202-226-5200 or the Senate Office of Public Records at 202-224-0758. For a detailed list of what’s new for the next filing period, please click on the appropriate link below:
Filing Deadlines
Quarterly Activity Reports*
April 20 First Quarter
(January 1 – March 31)
July 20 Second Quarter
(April 1 – June 30)
October 20 Third Quarter
(July 1 – September 30)
January 20 Fourth Quarter
(October 1 – December 31)
Contribution Reports*
July 30 Mid Year
(January 1 – June 30)
January 30 Year End
(July 1 – December 31)
*If the deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, the report is due the following business day.