A bill to require individuals who lobby the President on pardon issues to register under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 and to require the President to report any gifts, pledges, or commitments of a gift to a trust fund established for purposes of establishing a Presidential library for that President after his or her term has expired.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3156)

Congressional Research Service

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Mar 29, 2001

Amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to include under the term "lobbying contact" any oral or written communication to a covered official on behalf of a client with regard to the issuance of grants of executive clemency in the form of pardons, commutations of sentence, reprieves, and remissions of fines (thus, requiring individuals who lobby the President on pardon issues to register under such Act).Amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to require that each financial disclosure report filed by the President include the identity of the source, a brief description, and the value of all gifts, pledges, or commitments of a gift aggregating $5000 or more for the establishment of the President's Presidential library received from any source other than a relative of the President during the preceding year.

Read the summary on Congress.gov

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People & committees

Who introduced it

Sen. Specter, Arlen [R-PA] · R–PA

Committees

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

8 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Legislative record

Actions

A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.

Mar 29, 2001
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3156)
Mar 29, 2001
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3154-3156)
Mar 29, 2001
Introduced in Senate

Primary sources

Bill text & related measures

Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.

Introduced in Senate · Mar 29, 2001 Formatted Text PDF

Related bills identified by Congress.gov

HR 1334 · Governors Island Preservation Act of 2001

Source last updated: Apr 7, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

AI Conversation Starters

Explore the bill from different angles

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Neutral evidence review

Objective

Analyze S.645 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.645, 107th Congress: A bill to require individuals who lobby the President on pardon issues to register under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 and to require the President to report any gifts, pledges, or commitments of a gift to a trust fund established for purposes of establishing a Presidential library for that President after his or her term has expired.

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/107th-congress/senate-bill/645

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 2001-03-29.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/107/bills/s645/BILLS-107s645is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2025-04-07T13:38:02Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Analyze S.645 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

Fairness and public impact

Progressive lens

Examine S.645 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.645, 107th Congress: A bill to require individuals who lobby the President on pardon issues to register under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 and to require the President to report any gifts, pledges, or commitments of a gift to a trust fund established for purposes of establishing a Presidential library for that President after his or her term has expired.

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/107th-congress/senate-bill/645

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 2001-03-29.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/107/bills/s645/BILLS-107s645is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2025-04-07T13:38:02Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Examine S.645 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

Institutions and government scope

Conservative lens

Examine S.645 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.645, 107th Congress: A bill to require individuals who lobby the President on pardon issues to register under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 and to require the President to report any gifts, pledges, or commitments of a gift to a trust fund established for purposes of establishing a Presidential library for that President after his or her term has expired.

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/107th-congress/senate-bill/645

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 2001-03-29.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/107/bills/s645/BILLS-107s645is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2025-04-07T13:38:02Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Examine S.645 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

Individual rights and government power

Liberty lens

Examine S.645 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.645, 107th Congress: A bill to require individuals who lobby the President on pardon issues to register under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 and to require the President to report any gifts, pledges, or commitments of a gift to a trust fund established for purposes of establishing a Presidential library for that President after his or her term has expired.

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/107th-congress/senate-bill/645

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 2001-03-29.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/107/bills/s645/BILLS-107s645is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2025-04-07T13:38:02Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Examine S.645 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.