A bill to amend section 207 of title 18, United States Code.
Public Law 96-28 · S. 869 · 96th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Jun 22, 1979 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Sen. Abraham Ribicoff (D-CT)
Cosponsors: None
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateMethod not stated
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
(Senate agreed to House amendment)
Amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to provide that: (1) the restriction prohibiting former Federal or District of Columbia employees, for a two-year period after their last day of employment, from representing a person (except the United States) on a matter before the Government, applies only to those matters which were actually pending under such employee's official responsibility; and (2) the restriction prohibiting certain former highly-ranked employees and commissioned officers for such two-year period from assisting in the representation of a person appearing before the Government, applies only to such assistance entailing the employee's personal presence at such appearance on those matters in which the employee participated personally and substantially.
Amends such Act to stipulate that the restrictions prohibiting former high level Government employees from: (1) assisting in representing a person other that the United States on a matter before the Government for a period of two years after leaving Government service, or (2) acting as an agent or attorney for such a person within one year after leaving Government service in connection with their former department or agency, shall cover automatically only former employees compensated at rates equal to rates under the Executive Schedule and former military officers at grade 0-9 and above. Authorizes the Director of the Office of Government Ethics to designate for coverage certain positions which involve significant decision-making or supervisory responsibility. Limits designation to those positions which are: (1) GS-17 or greater; (2) established within the Senior Executive Service; or (3) grades 0-7 or 0-8 in the uniformed services.
Authorizes the Director to limit such prohibition against a former employee acting as an attorney or agent for another person before the employee's former department to permit such former employee to appear before or communicate with a bureau within such department which was separate from such employee's former bureau if the Direction determines such employee has no undue influence based on past Government service. Exempts from such prohibition elected officials and former employees of state and local governments and former employees of institutions of higher education and medical facilities acting on behalf of their former employer.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 15 actions.
- Jun 22, 1979Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-28.
- Jun 19, 1979PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- Jun 18, 1979PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Jun 15, 1979Resolving differencesResolving differences · House receded from certain of its amendment.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to Senate amendment to certain of its amendment.
- Jun 14, 1979Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendment.
- May 24, 1979FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, roll call #173 (327-48).House roll call 173
- FloorFloor · Motion to recommit to the Committee on the Judiciary rejected in House.
- May 2, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Judiciary Committee
- Apr 10, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
- Apr 9, 1979FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate.
- Apr 4, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.