Sec. 2. Findings
175 words·~1 min read·
/bill/116/hr/8022/ih/section-2A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Congress finds that— the right to petition government for redress of grievances is a fundamental right in our representative democracy, which is often realized through lobbying; responsible representative government requires public awareness of the efforts of paid lobbyists to influence the public decision making process in both the legislative and executive branches of the Federal Government; existing lobbying disclosure laws have not been as effective as they could be because of unclear statutory language, weak administrative and enforcement provisions, and an absence of clear guidance as to who is required to register and what they are required to disclose; the effective public disclosure of the identity and extent of the efforts of paid lobbyists to influence Federal officials in the conduct of government actions will increase public confidence in the integrity of government; and experience with lobbying laws and regulations for nearly a half century led to substantial improvements in the law in 1995, and experience with the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 over the last decade provides a sound basis for new refinements today.