HR 69119th CongressIn Committee

Freedom to Petition the Government Act

Introduced: Jan 3, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The Freedom to Petition the Government Act would amend the District of Columbia Official Code to create a new exception to what counts as “doing business” in D.C. for purposes of nonprofit registration. Specifically, it would treat as not constituting doing business certain meetings between a 501(c) nonprofit and federal officials (including Members of Congress or other officers, employees, or representatives of the Federal Government) when those meetings take place at locations owned or leased by the Federal Government in the District of Columbia. In short, the bill would make it easier for eligible nonprofit groups to meet with federal officials in D.C. without triggering DC registration requirements related to doing business. The bill is introduced in the 119th Congress as H.R. 69, titled the Freedom to Petition the Government Act. It was introduced in January 2025 by Rep. Biggs (with cosponsors Rep. Ogles and Rep. Crane) and referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. It does not alter federal lobbying rules; it specifically targets state/local (District of Columbia) registration requirements for nonprofits.

Key Points

1New carve-out: Adds a new paragraph to DC Code 29-105.05(a) stating that a meeting between a 501(c) nonprofit (tax-exempt under IRC 501(a)) and a federal official at a location owned or leased by the Federal Government is not “doing business” in DC for registration purposes.
2Eligible entities: Applies only to organizations described in section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code and exempt from taxation under section 501(a).
3Scope of meetings: Covers meetings with a Member of Congress or another officer, employee, or representative of the Federal Government.
4Location requirement: The meeting must occur at a location owned or leased by the Federal Government in the District of Columbia.
5Purpose and effect: The change is intended to reduce regulatory burden for these nonprofits when engaging with federal officials, facilitating the act of petitioning the government.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- 501(c) nonprofit organizations that might otherwise trigger DC “doing business” registration through meetings with federal officials in DC; those groups benefit from an easier path to petitioning the government without registration hurdles.Secondary group/area affected- Federal officials and offices in DC (including Members of Congress and other federal officials) who host or participate in such meetings at federal properties in DC.Additional impacts- District of Columbia regulatory landscape: Potentially reduces the number of entities required to register to “do business” in DC for these specific meeting activities; could affect DC administrative processes and revenue related to business registration, though the bill does not address taxes or other DC regulatory requirements beyond registration.- Transparency and governance considerations: By carving out meetings at federal properties, there could be questions about ensuring appropriate oversight and disclosure for nonprofit activities; the bill does not modify lobbying or campaign finance rules, only the specific “doing business” registration trigger.

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