Byrd Amendment on government lobbying (U.S.)

The Byrd Amendment on government lobbying refers to legislative amendments proposed by Senator Robert Byrd and adopted in 1989 by Congress in 1989 which banned government agencies hiring lobbyists to lobby Congress or the executive. The formal title of the amendment is the "Limitations on Use of Appropriated Funds to Influence Certain Federal Contracting and Financial Transactions".

A Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation guide to the amendment summarized it as:

The Byrd Amendment, 31 U.S.C. '1352, (the "Act" or "Byrd Amendment"), prohibits the use of appropriated funds by recipients of a "Federal contract" for purposes of influencing or attempting to influence federal officials in connection with a "Federal action," such as the awarding of a "Federal contract." The Act prohibits "contractors" from using appropriated funds for lobbying in connection with a contract, grant, loan or cooperative agreement with a Federal agency. Furthermore, the Act requires the "contractor" to disclose to the Federal agency involved its lobbying activities connected with such "contract," grant or loan when the "contract" amount exceeds $100,000 regardless of whether the activities are funded with appropriated funds".

Articles and Resources

Related SourceWatch Articles

• Foreign Agents Registration Act (U.S.)
• Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (U.S.)
• Lobbyists
• Regulating lobbying/Australia
• Regulating lobbying/Canada
• Regulating lobbying/Europe

External Links

• Jack Friery, "US Government Contractor lobbying Restrictions (The Byrd Amendment)", JackFriery.com, March 2005. (Friery is a lawyer who specializes in solving government contract law).
• John Jensen, "Keep close tabs on your inner lobbyist", Washington Technology, Vol. 21 No. 13, July 10, 2006.