1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Connecting Lobbyists and Electeds for Accountability and Reform Act” or the “CLEAR Act”.
Connecting Lobbyists and Electeds for Accountability and Reform Act
A BILL
To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require certain reports filed under such Act to include the disclosure of persons who are registered lobbyists under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, and for other purposes.
2. Requiring disclosure in certain reports filed with Federal Election Commission of persons who are registered lobbyists
Reports filed by political committees— Section 304(b) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (52 U.S.C. 30104(b)) is amended—
by striking “and” at the end of paragraph (7);
by striking the period at the end of paragraph (8) and inserting “; and”; and
by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
“(9) if any person identified in subparagraph (A), (E), (F), or (G) of paragraph (3) is a registered lobbyist under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, a separate statement that such person is a registered lobbyist under such Act.”
Reports filed by persons making independent expenditures— Section 304(c)(2) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 30104(c)(2)) is amended—
by striking “and” at the end of subparagraph (B);
by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (C) and inserting “; and”; and
by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
“(D) if the person filing the statement, or a person whose identification is required to be disclosed under subparagraph (C), is a registered lobbyist under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, a separate statement that such person is a registered lobbyist under such Act.”
Reports filed by persons making disbursements for electioneering communications— Section 304(f)(2) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 30104(f)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
“(G) If the person making the disbursement, or a contributor described in subparagraph (E) or (F), is a registered lobbyist under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, a separate statement that such person or contributor is a registered lobbyist under such Act.”
Requiring Commission To establish link to websites of the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate— Section 304 of such Act (52 U.S.C. 30104) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
“(j) Requiring information on registered lobbyists To be linked to websites of the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate
“(1) Links to websites—The Commission shall ensure that the Commission's public database containing information described in paragraph (2) is linked electronically to the websites maintained by the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives containing information filed pursuant to the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995.
“(2) Information described—The information described in this paragraph is each of the following:
“(A) Information disclosed under paragraph (9) of subsection (b).
“(B) Information disclosed under subparagraph (D) of subsection (c)(2).
“(C) Information disclosed under subparagraph (G) of subsection (f)(2).”
3. Effective date
The amendments made by this Act shall apply with respect to reports required to be filed under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 on or after the expiration of the 90-day period which begins on the date of the enactment of this Act.