Council of State Governments

Council of State Governments's $1.8M in disclosed federal lobbying puts it in the mid-tier of registered filers. Spending in the seven-figure range is common for established trade groups, mid-size corporations, and advocacy organizations that maintain a steady but not aggressive presence on Capitol Hill.

Across the 5-year window from 2020 to 2024, Council of State Governments's annual disclosed lobbying spend has climbed meaningfully — from $307K in 2020 to $402K in 2024, a change of +31%. Step-changes of this size often coincide with major bills moving through Congress, regulatory rulemakings affecting the organization's industry, or a leadership change in the relevant committee.

Council of State Governments's disclosed lobbying focuses on a narrow 2-issue footprint. A focused issue list usually means the organization concentrates its federal engagement on a small set of bills or rulemakings directly relevant to its core business.

1 of 2 lobbyists reported by Council of State Governments (50%) disclose prior federal government service — a high revolving-door share. The LDA cover sheet flags any "covered position" the lobbyist held in the executive branch, Congress, or a senior staff role within the past two years.

Among the named bench, lobbyists with disclosed prior federal service include Douglas B. Steenland (Former Staff Director, Senate Banking Committee). The covered-position field on LDA cover sheets captures executive-branch and senior congressional roles held within the prior two years.

Within the Trade Association sector, Council of State Governments ranks #98 of 114 tracked organizations by disclosed lobbying spend. The sector leader is US Chamber of Commerce at $387.8M; the sector average is $9.5M. Council of State Governments's $1.8M sits 81% below the sector average.

Council of State Governments's LobbySpend Influence Score of 52/100 (grade C) is the most common grade in the index — it covers organizations with established but moderate federal advocacy programs. The score combines disclosed total spend (40%), issue breadth (30%), and revolving-door connections (30%). A C-grade is typical of mid-size corporations and trade associations with steady quarterly filings on a focused issue set.

Every figure above is sourced from Senate lobbying disclosure filings submitted under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995. Per-issue dollar splits and covered-position flags are filer-reported and may be amended after initial submission.