Close the Revolving Door Act of 2015

Close the Revolving Door Act of 2015

This bill amends the federal criminal code to impose a lifetime ban on any former Senator, Member of the House of Representatives, or elected officer of the Senate or House of Representatives lobbying any current Member, officer, or employee of Congress or any employee of any other legislative office. (Currently the ban is for two years after a Senator leaves office and one year after a Member of the House of Representatives leaves office). The ban is extended from one to six years for officers and employees of the Senate, personal staff of Members, committee staff, leadership staff, and other legislative offices.

A registered lobbyist or agent of a foreign principal may not be hired for a six-year period by a Member of Congress or a congressional committee with which the lobbyist or agent has had a substantial lobbying contact.

This bill also amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to:

• direct the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives to maintain a joint lobbyist disclosure Internet database for information required to be publicly disclosed by that Act,
• require a substantial lobbying entity to file with Congress a list of each employee of, contractor with, or paid consultant to the substantial lobbying entity and who is a former Member of Congress or another highly-paid covered legislative branch official, and
• increase the civil penalty for violations of the disclosure or reporting requirements of such Act.