2 U.S.C. § 1609: Identification of clients and…

Summary

When you lobby a covered legislative or executive branch official, you must tell, if asked for oral contacts or in your written message, whether you are registered under this chapter, name the client you represent, and identify any foreign client or other foreign entity with a direct interest required by section 1603(b)(4). Written contacts must also say the client is treated as a foreign entity under this chapter and whether you are registered for that client under section 1603. If someone asks whether the person contacted is a covered legislative or executive branch official, that person or their office must say yes or no.

Title 2, §1609

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(a)Oral lobbying contacts

Any person or entity that makes an oral lobbying contact with a covered legislative branch official or a covered executive branch official shall, on the request of the official at the time of the lobbying contact—

(1)state whether the person or entity is registered under this chapter and identify the client on whose behalf the lobbying contact is made; and

(2)state whether such client is a foreign entity and identify any foreign entity required to be disclosed under section 1603(b)(4) of this title that has a direct interest in the outcome of the lobbying activity.

(b)Written lobbying contacts

Any person or entity registered under this chapter that makes a written lobbying contact (including an electronic communication) with a covered legislative branch official or a covered executive branch official shall—

(1)if the client on whose behalf the lobbying contact was made is a foreign entity, identify such client, state that the client is considered a foreign entity under this chapter, and state whether the person making the lobbying contact is registered on behalf of that client under section 1603 of this title; and

(2)identify any other foreign entity identified pursuant to section 1603(b)(4) of this title that has a direct interest in the outcome of the lobbying activity.

(c)Identification as covered official

Upon request by a person or entity making a lobbying contact, the individual who is contacted or the office employing that individual shall indicate whether or not the individual is a covered legislative branch official or a covered executive branch official.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsecs. (a)(1) and (b), was in the original “this Act” meaning Pub. L. 104–65, Dec. 19, 1995, 109 Stat. 691, known as the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1601 of this title and Tables.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective Jan. 1, 1996, see section 24 of Pub. L. 104–65, set out as a note under section 1601 of this title.

§1609 Identification of Clients and Covered Officials