[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 21 (Tuesday, February 1, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-1308]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: February 1, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

Office of the Secretary

24 CFR Part 86

[Docket No. R-94-1703; FR-3575-F-01]

 

Requirements Governing the Lobbying of HUD Personnel; Section 112 
of the Reform Act Reporting Requirements

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HUD.

ACTION: Interpretive rule.

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SUMMARY: To implement section 112 of the Housing and Urban Development 
Reform Act of 1989, the Department published a final rule in the 
Federal Register on May 17, 1991, at 56 FR 22912, establishing the 
requirements governing the lobbying of HUD personnel. The final rule 
established a new part 86 in title 24 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations. This interpretive rule relaxes the level of detail 
required to comply with the registrant reporting requirements of that 
final rule.

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 6, 1994.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Garry Phillips, Acting Director, 
Office of Ethics, room 2158, Department of Housing and Urban 
Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20410. Telephone: 
(202) 708-3815; TDD number (202) 708-1112. (These are not toll-free 
numbers.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 112 of the Department of Housing and 
Urban Development Reform Act of 1989, Public Law 101-235, approved 
December 15, 1989, (the ``Reform Act'') added a new section 13 to the 
Department of Housing and Urban Development Act, 42 U.S.C. 3531, et 
seq.
    Section 13 requires, among other things, that:

--Persons that make expenditures to influence a HUD officer or employee 
in the award of financial assistance or the taking of a management 
action by the Department must keep records, and report to HUD, on the 
expenditures; and
--Persons that are engaged to influence a HUD officer or employee in 
the award of financial assistance or the taking of a management action 
must register with HUD and report to HUD on their lobbying activities.

    On May 17, 1991, at 56 FR 22912, the Department promulgated a final 
rule to implement section 13. On January 23, 1992, at 57 FR 2677, the 
Department published in the Federal Register an interpretive rule which 
required that the registrant report on all amounts provided in the 
retaining agreement for the lobbying activities involved. Under that 
interpretation, all amounts received, and all amounts expended, under 
the agreement during the reporting year must be reported. Each side of 
the ledger--receiving and expending (which shall include the fee 
retained)--should total the same amounts. The preamble to the January 
23, 1992 interpretive rule stated--


    The Department believes that the registrant must report on all 
amounts received pursuant to the retaining agreement with respect to 
the lobbying activity. On the receipt side, the statute reaches 
``all money received * * * in carrying out the work * * *.'' In the 
Department's view, the amounts agreed upon in the agreement define 
the ``work'' to be carried out--they are the amounts that comprise 
the overall lobbying effort. This includes amounts directly related 
to the lobbying activities (such as the preparation of documents), 
as well as amounts indirectly related (such as travel and 
accommodation expenses). Direct or indirect, the agreed-upon amounts 
define the lobbying job.


    However, in that interpretive rule, the Department relieved some of 
the burden of strict compliance with the above statement by stating 
that--


    The Department does not believe that it is necessary to report 
in a line-by-line itemization every taxicab fare, tuna sandwich, or 
telephone call. Reasonable aggregations of expenses by type of 
expenditure with appropriate labeling are sufficient, provided the 
aggregations are related to the same lobbying activity; i.e., the 
same award for financial assistance or the same management action. 
Examples of labels of reasonable aggregations are ``meals,'' 
``transportation,'' ``lodging,'' and ``document preparation.''


    Because of the difficulty in complying with the reporting 
requirement described above and strong protest as to the need for the 
amount of detail needed to make each side of the ledger equal the same 
amount, the Department has re-examined the requirement and has 
concluded that, even with the aggregations of expenses described above, 
it does not need the amount of information now required to be 
disclosed. The vast majority of the information is of little value in 
enforcing the statute, and the ``all money * * * expended * * * in 
carrying out the work * * *'' does not include amounts indirectly 
related (such as travel and accommodation expenses). The disclosure of 
this type of information is not necessary in order to be consistent 
with the intent and purpose of the statute which is to disclose 
``lobbying'' activities.
    This rule eliminates the idea that receipts must equal 
expenditures. However, the Department does believe that information 
regarding fees--and other things in lieu of fees paid--by the lobbyist 
to retain another lobbyist in the lobbying effort should still be 
collected. It is a valuable cross-check to ensure that where a second 
lobbyist is hired, the second lobbyist meets Section 13's registration 
and reporting requirements. Therefore, persons required to file an 
annual report must report only fees--and other things of value in lieu 
of fees--paid to other lobbyists retained for lobbying activities in 
the form HUD-2882-B ``Lobbyist & Consultant Activity Annual Report of 
Persons Receiving Payment for Lobbying Activities.'' Form HUD-2882-B 
and the instructions for completing the form have been revised 
accordingly. The revised form HUD-2882-B is appended to this 
interpretive rule. It is not necessary to report merely incidental 
expenses.


    Authority: Secs. 7(d) and 13(g), Department of Housing and Urban 
Development Act (42 U.S.C. 3535(d) and 3537b(g)).

    Dated: January 6, 1994.
Henry G. Cisneros,
Secretary.

    1. Accordingly, the Department adds the discussion contained in the 
``Supplementary Information'' section of this document to the end of 
appendix C of 24 CFR part 86, as ``Interpretive rule dated January 6, 
1994''.
    2. Appendix C of part 86 is further amended by adding an appendix 
to the Interpretive rule dated January 6, 1994, to read as follows:

Appendix C to Part 86--Interpretive Rules of the Department 
Pertaining to Requirements Governing the Lobbying of HUD Personnel

* * * * *
    Interpretive rule dated January 6, 1994.
* * * * *
    Appendix to Interpretive Rule Dated January 6, 1994--Form HUD-
2882-B.

BILLING CODE 4210-32-P

TR01FE94.011


TR01FE94.012


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[FR Doc. 94-1308 Filed 1-31-94; 8:45 am]
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