[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4524 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4524

 To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit former Members and 
 elected officers of Congress from lobbying Congress at any time after 
                            leaving office.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 13, 2026

   Mr. Scott of Florida (for himself and Ms. Warren) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                             the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit former Members and 
 elected officers of Congress from lobbying Congress at any time after 
                            leaving office.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Banning Lobbying And Safeguarding 
Trust Act'' or the ``BLAST Act''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITING FORMER MEMBERS AND OFFICERS OF CONGRESS FROM 
              LOBBYING CONGRESS.

    (a) Prohibition.--Section 207(e) of title 18, United States Code, 
is amended by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
            ``(1) Members and elected officers of congress.--Any person 
        who is a Senator, a Member of the House of Representatives, or 
        an elected officer of the Senate or the House of 
        Representatives and who, after that person leaves office--
                    ``(A) registers as a lobbyist under section 4 of 
                the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1603), or
                    ``(B) knowingly makes, with the intent to 
                influence, any communication to or appearance before 
                any Member, officer, or employee of either House of 
                Congress or any employee of any other legislative 
                office of Congress, on behalf of any other person 
                (except the United States) in connection with any 
                matter on which the former Senator, Member, or elected 
                official seeks action by a Member, officer, or employee 
                of either House of Congress, in his or her official 
                capacity,
        shall be punished as provided in section 216.''.
    (b) Lobbyist Definition.--Section 3(10) of the Lobbying Disclosure 
Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1602(10)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ```lobbyist' means any'' and inserting 
        ```lobbyist'--
                    ``(A) means any'';
            (2) by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; 
        and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(B) includes any former Member of Congress who is 
                employed or retained by a client for financial or other 
                compensation--
                            ``(i) for services that include making 1 or 
                        more lobbying contacts; or
                            ``(ii) to engage in lobbying activities 
                        that do not include making lobbying 
                        contacts.''.
    (c) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--Section 207(e)(2) of 
title 18, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in the heading, by striking ``Officers and staff'' and 
        inserting ``Staff'';
            (2) by striking ``an elected officer of the Senate, or'';
            (3) by striking ``office or''; and
            (4) by striking ``former elected officer or''.
    (d) Applicability.--The amendments made by this section shall apply 
with respect to an individual who leaves office on or after the date of 
the enactment of this Act.
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