Lobbying and revolving door bills in Congress and states
These bills would set rules for lobbyists and for officials who leave office to become lobbyists.
Checked Nov 9, 2026: Congress and 26 states. 25 places are not checked yet. See the full lists
5 still open · 7 already won
Still open
| Status | Bill or measure | What it would do | Where it stands | What you can do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Needs a push | Lobbying Disclosure Improvement ActS. 865 ↗National | It makes lobbyists say if they use an exception to foreign-agent sign-up rules. | Passed the Senate December 16, 2025; received in the House and held at the desk December 17, 2025; not law. As of Dec 17, 2025 | If you want it to pass, ask your U.S. representative for a vote now. Ends Jan 3, 2027 Words to copyI'm your constituent. Please seek a vote on S. 865 now. |
| Needs a push | Disclosing Foreign Influence in Lobbying ActS. 856 ↗National | It makes lobbyists name foreign countries and parties that help guide their work. | Passed the Senate December 16, 2025; received in the House and held at the desk December 17, 2025; not law. As of Dec 17, 2025 | If you want it to pass, ask your U.S. representative for a vote now. Ends Jan 3, 2027 Words to copyI'm your constituent. Please seek a vote on S. 856 now. |
| Needs a push | Online lobbying reportsA 2330 ↗New York | It makes lobbyists file their reports online. | Passed both houses and returned to the Assembly; the official history shows no delivery to the governor or signing yet. Further delivery and governor action remain possible; no future vote is posted. As of Mar 16, 2026 | If you want it to become law, ask your New York Assemblymember to send it to the governor. Words to copyI'm your constituent. Please help send A 2330 to the governor. |
| Stuck | Close the Revolving Door Act of 2025S. 1850 ↗National | It bars former members of Congress from paid work to sway Congress for life and sets other job limits. | Referred to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee; no later action listed. As of May 21, 2025 | If you want it back, ask whoever represents you in January to bring it back. Ends Jan 3, 2027 Words to copyI'm your constituent. Please bring back S. 1850 in January. |
| Stuck | Lobbyist Loophole Closure ActH.R. 7231 ↗National | It makes more paid advisers who help lobbyists sign up and report their work. | Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. As of Jan 22, 2026 | If you want it back, ask whoever represents you in January to bring it back. Ends Jan 3, 2027 Words to copyI'm your constituent. Please bring back H.R. 7231 in January. |
7 already won
| Bill or measure | What it does | Where it stands |
|---|---|---|
| Who paid for lobbying adsH.686 ↗Vermont | It makes more ads meant to sway state leaders show who paid for them. | Enacted as Act 154; the official bill record says the governor approved it June 17, 2026. As of Jun 17, 2026 |
| Two-year wait for former lawmakersHB 4062 ↗Michigan | It makes some former state lawmakers wait two years before paid lobbying. | Signed July 21, 2026 as Public Act 74; effective July 27, 2026; the two-year rule applies to members whose terms begin on or after January 1, 2027. As of Jul 21, 2026 |
| Two-year wait for former state leadersHB 4063 ↗Michigan | It makes some former governors and top state staff wait two years before paid lobbying. | Signed July 21, 2026 as Public Act 75; effective July 27, 2026; the rule applies to covered officials whose terms begin on or after January 1, 2027. As of Jul 21, 2026 |
| No paid lobbying by sitting lawmakersHB 4064 ↗Michigan | It bars sitting state lawmakers from taking extra pay to lobby government officials. | Signed July 21, 2026 as Public Act 76; the paid-lobbying ban takes effect January 1, 2027. As of Jul 21, 2026 |
| No fake public support in lobbyingAB 1736 ↗California | It bars firms that hire lobbyists from faking public support or using names without consent. | Signed July 13, 2026, Chapter 71; the FPPC confirms the new rule applies to lobbyist employers. As of Jul 13, 2026 |
| Lobbying ban after public corruption crimesAB 2592 ↗California | It bars people convicted of public corruption in the past 12 years from working as lobbyists. | The FPPC’s October 1, 2026 update confirms it is chaptered. The law also moves lobbyist training to the FPPC starting January 1, 2029; enactment does not mean all provisions are in force now. As of Oct 1, 2026 |
| Outside-pay ban for statewide officialsHB 210 ↗Louisiana | It bars statewide elected leaders from being paid to lobby or give advice. | Signed June 8, 2026 as Act 787; effective that day. The ban covers pay for lobbying, consulting or advising. Other sections retroactively protect some local officials’ older outside jobs and waive older-job disclosures; this is not a blanket tightening of all ethics rules. As of Jun 8, 2026 |
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What we checked
We looked at Congress and 26 states: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin.
We have not checked these 25 places yet: District of Columbia, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming. A bill from one of them will not show up here.
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