The Lobbying Compliance Handbook: A Practitioner's Guide in the Age of HLOGA

PART 1: Compliance with LDA and HLOGA    i. Introduction and Explanation   Chapter 1: Overview of the LDA Framework and Changes Contained in HLOGA 1.1:  History of LDA 1.2:  Changes to LDA Enacted by HLOGA   1.2.1:  LD-1: Lobbying Registration     1.2.1.1:  Disclosure of Prior Government Service by Individual Lobbyists     1.2.1.2:  Disclosure of Coalitions and Association Members       1.2.1.2.1:  Formal Coalitions       1.2.1.2.2:  Informal Coalitions       1.2.1.2.3:  Associations   1.2.2:  LD-2 Changes: Lobbying Issues, Income, and Expenditure Disclosures     1.2.2.1:  Income and Expenditures Reporting     1.2.2.2:  Disclosure of Prior Government Service by Individual Lobbyists   1.2.3:  LD-203: New Individual Filings by Lobbyists and Entities     1.2.3.1:  Reporting of Political Contributions     1.2.3.2:  Payments and Disbursements Related to Covered Officials     1.2.3.3:  Ethics Compliance Certification   Chapter 2: Back to LDA Basics 2.1:  Overview of Registration 2.2:  Registrants Reporting Lobbying Income   2.2.1:  Registration of Individual Lobbyists     2.2.1.1:  Twenty Percent of Time Engaged in Lobbying Activities     2.2.1.2:  Lobbying Contact to a Covered Executive or Legislative Branch Official       2.2.1.2.1:  Scheduling Requests       2.2.1.2.2:  Status Requests       2.2.1.2.3:  Statutory Exceptions     2.2.1.3:  Income of $3,000 or More During a Quarter 2.3:  Changes in LD-1 for Lobbyists Reporting Income   2.3.1:  LDA Definition of “Affiliate”     2.3.1.1:  Registration on Behalf of Parent Companies with Subsidiary Entries-The 20% Rule     2.3.1.2:  Registration and Disclosure of a Client’s Foreign Interests/Affiliates   2.3.2:  Description of Client’s Business   2.3.3:  Disclosure of Lobbying Issues   2.3.4:  Signing the LD-1 Registration Form 2.4:  Lobbyists Reporting Income for Lobbying Activities   2.4.1:  Income   2.4.2:  Issues Lobbied During Reporting Period   2.4.3:  Changes to Previously Filed Information     2.4.3.1:  Updated Information     2.4.3.2:  Changes in Previously Disclosed Income Information     2.4.3.3:  Corrective Action Requested by Senate Secretary or House Clerk 2.5:  Entities Reporting Lobbying Expenditures   2.5.1:  The LDA and the Internal Revenue Code     2.5.1.1:  Organizations Reporting Expenses: Optional IRC Reporting Methods     2.5.1.2:  Which Method of Reporting Expenditures Should a Registrant Use:LDA or IRC?   2.5.2:  LD-1: Triggering Registration for Entities Reporting Expenditures   2.5.3:  LD-2: Tracking and Reporting Lobbying Expenditures     2.5.3.1:  Salaries and Wages of Employees Engaged in Lobbying Activities     2.5.3.2:  IRC Methods for Calculating Lobbying Expenditures       2.5.3.2.1:  Ratio Method       2.5.3.2.2:  Gross-up Method       2.5.3.2.3:  Cost Allocation Method   Chapter 3: Basic How-To for an LDA Compliance System 3.1:  Important Compliance Considerations after HLOGA 3.2:  Principles of HLOGA Internal Compliance Systems 3.3:  Components of Compliance Systems   3.3.1:  Financial Tracking Systems     3.3.1.1:  Lobbyists Tracking Income     3.3.1.2:  Registrants Tracking Lobbying Expenditures   3.3.2:  Report Preparation and Review   3.3.3:  Document Retention and GAO Audits   3.3.4:  LD-203 Report   3.3.5:  Training of Lobbyist and Non-lobbyist Employees     3.3.5.1:  Timekeeping and Issue Recording Training     3.3.5.2:  Ethics Training for Compliance with LD-203 Reporting   Chapter 4: The GAO Audit: Preparation for and the Process of the Audit 4.1:  Introduction 4.2:  Summary of the GAO’s First Two Reports on HLOGA Compliance   4.2.1:  Methodology   4.2.2:  Findings of the Reports 4.3:  Preparation for a GAO Audit 4.4:  Lessons from the GAO Audit   4.4.1:  Compliance Best Practices for the LD-2     4.4.4.1:  Documentation     4.4.4.2:  Additional Items to be Aware of   4.4.2:  Compliance Best Practices for the LD-203     4.4.2.1:  Determining Who Should File     4.4.2.2:  Tracking Systems for Disclosures on the LD-203     4.4.2.3:  PAC Boards 4.5:  The Auditing Process: A Case Study   4.5.1:  HLOGA Compliance   4.5.2:  The Audit   PART 2: Modern Living under the Ethics Rules   i. Introduction   Chapter 5: Food, Entertaining and Dating 5.1:  The Lobbyists’ Guide to Feeding and Entertaining a Member or Staffer   5.1.1:  What is a Meal?   5.1.2:  Exceptions to the Ethics Rules Allowing a Member or Staffer to Consume a Meal   5.1.3:  Disclosure of Meals Paid for by Lobbyists or Lobbying Entities   5.1.4:  De Minimis Allowance for Meals Offered or Furnished by Non-Lobbyists 5.2:  Parties, Receptions and Events   5.2.1:  Cup of Coffee Rules   5.2.2:  Drinks at the Bar Rules   5.2.3:  Breakfast Rules   5.2.4:  Parties and Receptions - Menus     5.2.4.1:  Invitations and Ethics Approval   5.2.5:  Entertainment, Valet-Parking and Other Offerings to Guests     5.2.5.1:  Entertainment     5.2.5.2:  Valet Parking and Items Offered to Guests   5.2.6:  Honoring Members of Congress     5.2.6.1:  Events Honoring Members at National Party Conventions     5.2.6.2:  Events Honoring Members at Swearing-In/Inauguration Ceremonies 5.3:  Preparation for a GAO Audit   5.3.1:  Entertaining in the Home   5.3.2:  Dating and Other Forms of Entertainment     5.3.2.1:  Initial Phase Dating Issues     5.3.2.2:  Disclosure of Dating Gifts 5.4:  Special Occasions and Gifts   Chapter 6: The Travel Section 6.1:  Introduction 6.2:  Official v. Officially Connected Travel 6.3:  Specific Situations Regarding Travel   6.3.1:  Members/Staffers Speaking at a Conference or a Meeting in Washington, D.C.   6.3.2:  Members/Staffers Speaking at a Conference, Attending a Meeting, or Participating in a Fact-Finding Trip Outside of Washington, D.C.     6.3.2.1:  Procedures for Approval of House Member/staffer Travel for One-day Conference     6.3.2.2:  Procedures for Approval of Senator/Senate Staffer Travel for One-day Conference   6.3.3:  Permissible Travel Outside of One Day 6.4:  Important Miscellaneous Travel Rules 6.5:  Travel Unrelated to Official Duties   Chapter 7: Executive Branch Gift Issues 7.1:  Introduction 7.2:  Key Provisions Related to the Executive Branch Gift Rules 7.3:  Exceptions to the Executive Branch Gift Rules 7.4:  Examples of Executive Branch Gift Rule Issues   Chapter 8: President Obama’s Executive Order Governing Political Appointees 8.1:  The Executive Order on Ethics Commitments   8.1.1:  Ban on Gifts to Political Appointees from Lobbyists   8.1.2:  Political Appointee Employment Restrictions     8.1.2.1:  Entering the Administration     8.1.2.2:  Exiting the Administration 8.2:  Restrictions on Lobbying With Regard to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)   Chapter 9: Job Hunting on the Hill 9.1:  Introduction 9.2:  House Members