LAWYERSCHILE EL MUNDO INTERNACIONAL DEL ABOGADO

Rodrigo González Fernández y un grupo de egresados de la Facultad de Derecho de la Universidad la Republica en Chile ha decidido poner al alcance de todo el mundo de la profesion legal importantes materias en Ingles para ir practicando el trabajo en materia de Tratados internacionales y que nuestra profesión estará en primera linea. Invitamos a todos a opinar, debatir, participar activamente.Es el primer blog legal en inglés de latinoamerica.

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

LOBBYING REGISTRATION

LOBBYING REGISTRATION

Jul 14, 2009 ... A Lobbying Firm is required to file a separate registration for each client. Organizations employing in-house lobbyists should check the box ...

FUENTE :
CONSULTEN, OPINEN , ESCRIBAN LIBREMENTE
Saludos
Rodrigo González Fernández
Diplomado en RSE de la ONU
Diplomado en Gestión del Conocimiento ONU
www.consultajuridica.blogspot.com
www.el-observatorio-politico.blogspot.com
www.lobbyingchile.blogspot.com
www.biocombustibles.blogspot.com
www.calentamientoglobalchile.blogspot.com
Oficina: Renato Sánchez 3586 of. 10
Teléfono: Celular: 93934521
e-mail: rogofe47@mi.cl
Santiago- Chile
Soliciten nuestros cursos de capacitación y consultoría en RESPONSABILIDAD SOCIAL EMPRESARIAL – LOBBY – BIOCOMBUSTIBLES -LIDERAZGO y asesorías a nivel internacional y están disponibles para OTEC Y OTIC en Chile

lobby Office of the Clerk, United States House of Representativesselect platform:

Office of the Clerk, United States House of Representatives

select platform:

Honest Leadership and Open Government Act 0f 2007

Lobbying Disclosure Act Guidance (updated June 9, 2009)

Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995

Public Law 110-81 (PDF)

House Report 104-339, Part I (PDF)

Technical Amendments Act of 1998

Notices and Announcements

Frequently Asked Questions – Registration and Reporting (Windows)
Frequently Asked Questions – Registration and Reporting (Macintosh)
Frequently Asked Questions – Contribution Reporting

July 2009
Quarterly Report Filing Reminder

The Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, as amended by the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007, requires those who have registered to file quarterly activity reports with the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Secretary of the U.S. Senate. The second quarter report is due Monday, July 20, 2009, covering April 1, 2009 through June 30, 2009.

House Legislative Resource Center
202-226-5200
lobbyinfo@mail.house.gov

Senate Office of Public Records
202-224-0758
lobby@sec.senate.gov

June 16, 2009
Clarification of Recent Notice and Revised Guidance Regarding Conditions for Lobbyist Termination

This notice is in response to several questions raised about the recently posted Notice and Guidance Revisions. Download the PDF.

June 2009
LDA Guidance Revision

The Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate have revised the written guidance on LDA registration and reporting requirements. This revision contains changes to the following sections:

Section 4: Lobbying Registration
Section 6: Quarterly Reporting of Lobbying Activities
Section 7: Semiannual Reporting of Certain Contributions
Section 8: Termination of a Lobbyist/Termination of a Registrant

View the Revised Guidance

June 5, 2009
Notice Regarding Conditions for Lobbyist Termination

This notice responds to questions about the impact of filing an amended LD-1 or LD-2 report on the duty to file an LD-203 report. Download the PDF.

January 2009
LDA Guidance Revision

The Clerk of the House of Representatives and The Secretary of the Senate have revised the written guidance on LDA registration and reporting requirements. This revision contains changes to the following sections:

Section 5 - Special Registration Circumstances;
Section 6 – Quarterly Reporting of Lobbying Activity;
Section 7 – Semiannual Reporting of Certain Contributions.

Revised Guidance

November 2008

In light of the thousands of new filers and the significant new disclosures required by the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, we are considering revising and providing additional guidance. Comments and suggestions should be directed to the Senate Office of Public Records and the House Legislative Resource Center in time for evaluation before the next reporting cycle.

July 16, 2008

In order to accommodate the thousands of new filers who are required to participate in the LD203 disclosure process, we have amended our guidance to provide some clarification and assist new filers in the completion of the LD203 form.

June 2008
LD-203 Contributions Reporting System

The Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Secretary of the U.S. Senate are pleased to announce the release of the LD-203 Contribution Reporting system, effective June 30, 2008.

The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 requires lobbying registrants and individual lobbyists to file a semi-annual report of certain contributions, along with a certification that the filer understands the gift and travel rules of both the House and the Senate. These reports are due by July 30th (for the January through June reporting period) and by January 30th (for the July through December reporting period) or the next business day should either of those days fall on a weekend or holiday. Registrants, and each of their lobbyists, who were active for all or part of the semi-annual reporting period must file separate reports detailing certain FECA contributions, honorary contributions, presidential library contributions, and payments for event costs.

The Contribution Reporting system will provide access to a pre-populated contribution form for each filer. Access to this system is based on current LDA registrations and reports with the House and Senate. Each filer must sign into the system with a User ID and password. Based on the User ID, the filer will be able to update contact information, create a new filing for a reporting period, and file their form. All communications regarding filing and account status are automated and will be sent to the address on file for an account via email.

Registrants will use the same ID and password that are used to file other lobbying disclosure forms to sign into the system, and must verify the registered lobbyist name before an account can be created for each employee. When a lobbyist name has been verified by the employer, the lobbyist must create a unique password before access to the system is permitted.

Features of the new system and filing process include:

Automated retrieval of lobbyist ID numbers and passwords;
Pre-populated forms containing the appropriate ID numbers and names, as well as contact information, for each filer;
Filings that can be saved on the system and retrieved to append before filing or to amend after filing;
A streamlined process to file forms with the House and Senate with a single button to sign the form with your ID and password and submit it;
An online help manual and demonstrations accessible from each screen;
A system that works on Windows and Macintosh computers, requiring only a User ID and password to create and file forms.

To assist you, training is available on DVD (which will be mailed to each active registrant) and online from our Web sites. These tutorials will show you, step-by-step, how to use the new filing system. To provide ongoing support, a written User Manual, a Troubleshooting Guide and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are also available from the Web site listed below.

To access the Contributions Reporting system:
https://ld.congress.gov:4433/LC/

For help with electronic filing and lobbyist accounts:	For help with registrant IDs and passwords:
House Legislative Resource Center B-106 Cannon House Office Bldg Washington, DC 20515 202-226-5200 lobbyinfo@mail.house.gov	Senate Office of Public Records 232 Hart Senate Office Bldg Washington, DC 20510 202-224-0758 lobby@sec.senate.gov

March 2008
Lobbying Disclosure Forms Update

The Clerk of the House and The Secretary of the Senate are pleased to announce that the LD-2 quarterly reporting form was released on March 3, 2008. To assist filers that may need to file reports or amendments for previous semiannual reporting periods, a new Forms Archive section is now available on the Forms and Software page for Windows and Macintosh users.

This section contains the semiannual report form (LD-2) version 6.0.0 that must be signed using the Senate ID and password, and will be submitted to both the House and Senate at the same time.

Please note that you may continue to file previous versions of the semiannual reporting forms until March 15, 2008, but they must be filed with the House and Senate separately and are no longer available on the Lobbying Disclosure website.

January 25, 2008
LDA Guideline Revision

The Clerk of the House and The Secretary of the Senate have revised the written guidance on Lobbying Disclosure registration and reporting requirements. This revision clarifies changes made to the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 by Sections 208 and 215 of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act regarding Additional Disclosure of Past Governmental Employment as a covered official.

Guideline Revision

January 2008
LD-1 Registration Forms Now Available

The Clerk of the House and The Secretary of the Senate are pleased to announce that the LD-1 Registration form is now available for use after January 1, 2008. The LD-2 Quarterly reporting form will be released on March 3, 2008. The semiannual contribution form LD-203 will be available in the near future.

Electronic filing for both the House and Senate is mandatory, effective January 1, 2008. To successfully file your forms electronically, you need the following materials:

The most current version of the LD-1 and LD-2 forms
The correct House and Senate ID numbers
A Senate password

Please note that you may continue to file previous versions of the semiannual reporting forms until March 15, 2008, but they must be filed with the House and Senate separately.

To verify the House ID numbers of active clients, please use the links below or call the Legislative Resource Center at 202-226-5200:

To verify the Senate ID numbers or to obtain a Senate Password, please use the appropriate link below or call the Senate Office of Public Records at 202-224-0758:

December 2007
Single Filing Location for House and Senate Filings

The Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate are pleased to advise you of the following new lobby report filing procedures resulting from the passage of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-81), which amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995. The Secretary and the Clerk have combined their filing processes so that you may file your forms at a single location that does not require an ACES digital signature.

As of December 10, 2007, new registration and reporting forms will be available that enable simultaneous filing with the Clerk and the Secretary using a Senate password. These forms, version 5.0.1, may be used for the 2007 Year End filing period and are available on the Windows and Macintosh Forms and Software page.

Previously issued registration and reporting forms that use the digital signature will be accepted by the Secretary and the Clerk until March 15, 2008. After this date, you must use the new version 5.0.1 forms that file electronically at a single location with the Senate password.

We invite you to join the Lobbying Disclosure subscribers list, so that you are notified via email of future filing deadlines and pertinent information regarding Lobbying Disclosure Filing Procedures.

For further information, please contact the Legislative Resource Center at 202-226-5200 or the Senate Office of Public Records at 202-224-0758. For a detailed list of what's new for the next filing period, please click on the appropriate link below:

The Card Game

Overspending on Debit Cards Is a Boon for Banks

By RON LIEBER and ANDREW MARTIN

Published: September 8, 2009

When Peter Means returned to graduate school after a career as a civil servant, he turned to a debit card to help him spend his money more carefully.

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Laura Pedrick for The New York Times

Ryan Pena has filed a lawsuit against Wachovia Bank. The suit charges that the bank reorders debit card transactions in order to maximize the overdraft fees they can charge.

Should there be tighter regulation of debit cards and overdraft fees?

Join the Discussion »

Multimedia

Video

Winning the Card Game: Debit Cards

Graphic

Shuffling Debit Transcactions and Maximizing Fees

Preventing Fees From Piling Up (September 9, 2009)

More Articles in This Series

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Matthew Staver for The New York Times

Peter Means's bank charged him seven $34 fees to cover seven purchases when there was not enough cash in his account, notifying him only afterward.

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So he was stunned when his bank charged him seven $34 fees to cover seven purchases when there was not enough cash in his account, notifying him only afterward. He paid $4.14 for a coffee at Starbucks — and a $34 fee. He got the $6.50 student discount at the movie theater — but no discount on the $34 fee. He paid $6.76 at Lowe's for screws — and yet another $34 fee. All told, he owed $238 in extra charges for just a day's worth of activity.

Mr. Means, who is 59 and lives in Colorado, figured employees at his bank, Wells Fargo, would show some mercy since each purchase was less than $12. In addition, a deposit from a few days earlier would have covered everything had it not taken days to clear. But they would not budge.

Banks and credit unions have long pitched debit cards as a convenient and prudent way to buy. But a growing number are now allowing consumers to exceed their balances — for a price.

Banks market it as overdraft protection, and the fees it generates have become an important source of income for the banking industry at a time of big losses in other operations. This year alone, banks are expected to bring in $27 billion by covering overdrafts on checking accounts, typically on debit card purchases or checks that exceed a customer's balance.

In fact, banks now make more covering overdrafts than they do on penalty fees from credit cards.

But because consumers use debit cards far more often than credit cards, a cascade of fees can be set off quickly, often for people who are least able to afford it. Some banks further increase their revenue by manipulating the order of a customer's transactions in a way that causes more of them to incur overdraft fees.

"Banks will let you overspend on your debit card in a way that is much, much more expensive than almost any credit card," said Eric Halperin, director of the Washington office of the Center for Responsible Lending.

Debit has essentially changed into a stealth form of credit, according to critics like him, and three quarters of the nation's largest banks, except for a few like Citigroup and INGDirect, automatically cover debit and A.T.M. overdrafts.

Although regulators have warned of abuses since at least 2001, they have done little to curb the explosive growth of overdraft fees. But as a consumer outcry grows, the practice is under attack, and regulators plan to introduce new protections before year's end. The proposals do not seek to ban overdraft fees altogether. Rather, regulators and lawmakers say they hope to curb abuses and make the fees more fair.

The Federal Reserve is considering requiring banks to get permission from consumers before enrolling them in overdraft programs, so that consumers like Mr. Means are not caught unaware at the cash register.

Representative Carolyn Maloney, Democrat of New York, would go even further by requiring warnings when a debit card purchase will overdraw an account and by barring banks from running the most expensive purchases through accounts first.

The proposals carry considerable momentum given the popularity of credit card legislation signed into law in May. They also have a certain inevitable logic, since the credit card legislation requires a similar "opt in" decision from consumers who want to spend more than their credit limits and pay the corresponding over-the-limit fees. Overdrafts are simply the reverse, where the limit is zero, and the bank charges a fee for going under it.

But with so much at stake, the banking industry is intent on holding its ground.

Bankers say they are merely charging a fee for a convenience that protects consumers from embarrassment, like having a debit card rejected on a dinner date. Ultimately, they add, consumers have responsibility for their own finances.

"Everyone should know how much they have in their account and manage their funds well to avoid those fees," said Scott Talbott, chief lobbyist at the Financial Services Roundtable, an advocacy group for large financial institutions.

Some experts warn that a sharp reduction in overdraft fees could put weakened financial institutions out of business.

Michael Moebs, an economist who advises banks and credit unions, said Ms. Maloney's legislation would effectively kill overdraft services, causing an estimated 1,000 banks and 2,000 credit unions to fold within two years. That is because 45 percent of the nation's banks and credit unions collect more from overdraft services than they make in profits, he said.

"Will they be able to replace it with another fee?" Mr. Moebs said. "Not immediately and not soon enough."

They will certainly try. For instance, some banks have said they might slap a monthly fee of between $10 to $20 on every free checking account. At the moment, people who pay overdraft fees help subsidize the free accounts of those who do not.