President Obama has signed an executive order prohibiting agencies from placing federally register lobbyists on agency advisory boards and commissions.
“Although lobbyists can sometimes play a constructive role by communicating information to the government, their service in privileged positions within the executive branch can perpetuate the culture of special interest access that I am committed to changing,” said the order.
Explicitly, it directs the heads of executive departments and agencies to avoid making “any new appointments or reappointments of federally registered lobbyists to advisory committees or other boards and commissions.”
It further directs OMB to issue proposed implementing guidance by September.
