Overview
- The Milei administration submitted the 'Ley de Transparencia y Publicidad de la Gestión de Intereses' in late May and the bill is now under joint committee debate in the Chamber of Deputies.
- The text requires a public Registry of interest managers, quarterly disclosure of meetings and clients, and criminal penalties of up to three years in prison for unregistered or clandestine lobbying.
- The draft builds on elements of three U.S. laws cited by the Executive — the LDA, HLOGA and FARA — and creates a special, higher-reporting category for those representing foreign interests in sensitive areas like defense and procurement.
- The bill leaves the Executive's authority of application undefined and the Ministry of Justice did not take part in drafting, raising questions about which agency will control registration, oversight, investigations and sanctions.
- Transparency groups, magistrates' associations and legal experts warn the law's broad definitions could sweep in ordinary advocacy, impose heavy administrative burdens and enable politicized use of the registry if oversight and safeguards are not fixed before a floor vote planned for June.