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Honest Leadership and Open Government Act facts for kids

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Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007
Great Seal of the United States
Other short titles
  • Commission to Strengthen Confidence in Congress Act of 2007
  • Congressional Pension Accountability Act
  • Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2007
Long title An Act to provide greater transparency in the legislative process.
Acronyms (colloquial) HLOGA
Enacted by the 110th United States Congress
Effective September 14, 2007
Citations
Public law 110-81
Statutes at Large 121 Stat. 735
Codification
Titles amended 2 U.S.C.: Congress
U.S.C. sections amended 2 U.S.C. ch. 26 § 1601 et seq.
Legislative history
  • Introduced in the Senate as S. 1 by Harry Reid (DNV) on January 4, 2007
  • Passed the Senate on January 18, 2007 (96-2, Roll call vote 19, via Senate.gov)
  • Passed the House on July 31, 2007 (411-8, Roll call vote 763, via Clerk.House.gov) with amendment
  • Senate agreed to House amendment on August 2, 2007 (83-14, Roll call vote 294, via Senate.gov)
  • Signed into law by President George W. Bush on September 14, 2007


The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 (HLOGA) is a United States federal law. It changed parts of an older law called the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995. This new law made rules stricter for people who try to influence government decisions, known as lobbyists.

HLOGA aimed to make sure that lobbying activities and their funding were more open to the public. It also put more limits on gifts that members of Congress and their helpers could receive. Plus, it made sure that special spending requests, called earmarks, were clearly shown in spending bills. President George W. Bush signed this important law on September 14, 2007.

Who Helped Create This Law?

This law was first suggested by Senator Harry M. Reid. He was the main sponsor of the bill. Many other senators also supported the bill and helped it move forward.

What Does the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act Do?

This law has several important parts. It aims to make sure that government decisions are made fairly and openly. It also tries to prevent people from using their past government jobs to gain unfair advantages.

Making Lobbying More Open

HLOGA made it easier for everyone to see what lobbyists are doing. Lobbyists are people who try to influence lawmakers.

How Often Do Lobbyists Report?

The law made lobbyists report their activities more often. Instead of twice a year, they now have to report every three months. This means more up-to-date information for the public.

Public Online Database

All these reports must be filed online. This information is then put into a public database. Anyone can search this database to see who is lobbying and what they are spending.

Stronger Penalties for Breaking Rules

If lobbyists don't follow the rules, the penalties are much tougher now. Fines for breaking the law went up a lot. There can also be jail time for serious rule-breaking.

Checking Up on Lobbyists

A group called the Government Accountability Office (GAO) now checks lobbyists every year. They make sure lobbyists are following all the rules. Lobbyists also have to promise they haven't given illegal gifts.

Showing Who Pays for Lobbying

The law also requires groups that spend a lot of money on lobbying to show who is contributing to them. This helps everyone see where the money comes from.

Rules for Political Donations

HLOGA added new rules about how lobbyists give money to political campaigns.

Reporting Campaign Contributions

Lobbyists must now tell the Federal Election Commission (FEC) if they collect and give more than $15,000 in campaign money. This applies to money given to candidates for president, senator, or representative.

Other Financial Disclosures

Lobbyists also have to report money they give to things like presidential libraries. They also report payments to groups named after or honoring members of Congress.

Stopping the "Revolving Door"

The "revolving door" refers to people who leave government jobs and then become lobbyists. They might use their old connections to influence decisions. This law tries to slow that down.

Waiting Period for Senators

Senators now have to wait two years after leaving office before they can become lobbyists. Before, they only had to wait one year. This helps prevent them from using their recent connections.

Rules for Other Government Workers

Senior staff members in Congress also have waiting periods. They cannot lobby their old offices for one year after leaving. Top executive branch officials also have similar rules.

No Influence on Hiring

The law makes it illegal for members of Congress or their staff to pressure private companies to hire people based only on their political party. Breaking this rule can lead to big fines or even jail time.

Rules About Gifts and Travel

HLOGA made stricter rules about gifts and travel for members of Congress.

No Gifts from Lobbyists

Lobbyists are not allowed to give gifts or pay for travel for members of Congress. This helps prevent lobbyists from trying to influence lawmakers with gifts.

Fair Prices for Private Flights

If candidates for Senate or President use private planes, they must pay the full market price for the flight. This means they can't get cheap flights as a special favor. House candidates cannot use non-commercial aircraft at all.

Rules for Attending Events

Senators and their staff can accept free entry to events in their home state. But there must be no registered lobbyists there. Also, any food served must cost less than $50.

Travel Paid by Outside Groups

If an outside group pays for a member's travel, this information must be posted online. This makes it public for everyone to see.

Protecting Congressional Pensions

This law also deals with retirement benefits for members of Congress.

Losing Retirement Benefits

Members of Congress can lose their retirement benefits if they are found guilty of serious crimes related to their official duties. This includes things like taking bribes or not being honest.

Ethics Rules for Congress

The law also updated the rules for how members of Congress should act.

Reporting Job Negotiations

Members of Congress must tell the public if they are talking about a future job before their term ends. This helps avoid conflicts of interest. Senior staff must also report job talks.

Spouses Who Are Lobbyists

If a senator's spouse is a registered lobbyist, they are not allowed to lobby any Senate office. This helps prevent conflicts of interest within families.

Ethics Training

All senators and their staff must now take ethics training. This helps them understand the rules and how to act properly.

Annual Ethics Reports

The Senate Ethics Committee must publish yearly reports. These reports show how many rule violations were looked into and what happened with them. This makes the ethics process more open.

Making the Legislative Process More Open

HLOGA also brought more openness to how laws are made in Congress.

No More Secret Holds

Senators used to be able to secretly delay a bill or nomination. Now, if a senator wants to delay something, they must publicly say so within five days.

Public Meetings Online

Senate committees and subcommittees must now post videos, audio, or written records of all their public meetings online. This means people can see and hear what happens.

Open Conference Committees

The law states that meetings where House and Senate members work out differences in bills should be open to the public.

Clearer Spending Requests (Earmarks)

All special spending requests, called earmarks, must be clearly identified in bills. They also have to be posted online at least 48 hours before a vote. Senators must also promise they won't personally benefit financially from an earmark they request.

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