Clerk of the House of Representatives
Legislative Resource Center
135 Cannon Building
Washington, DC 20515
http://lobbyingdisclosure.house.gov 		Secretary of the Senate
Office of Public Records
232 Hart Building
Washington, DC 20510
http://www.senate.gov/lobby
LOBBYING REPORT

Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (Section 5) - All Filers Are Required to Complete This Page

1. Registrant Name Organization/Lobbying Firm Self Employed Individual
American Gas Association

2. Address

Address1
400 NORTH CAPITOL STREET, NW
 Address2
​
City
WASHINGTON
 State
DC
 Zip Code
20001
 Country
USA

3. Principal place of business (if different than line 2)

City
​
State
​
Zip Code
​
Country
​
4a. Contact Name b. Telephone Number c. E-mail
​Mr.
​Michael L. Murray
​2028247071
​mmurray@aga.org
5. Senate ID#
​2445-12
7. Client Name Self Check if client is a state or local government or instrumentality
​American Gas Association
6. House ID#
​310160000
TYPE OF REPORT 8. Year
​2019
 Q1 (1/1 - 3/31) Q2 (4/1 - 6/30) Q3 (7/1 - 9/30) Q4 (10/1 - 12/31)

9. Check if this filing amends a previously filed version of this report

10. Check if this is a Termination Report Termination Date
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11. No Lobbying Issue Activity
INCOME OR EXPENSES - YOU MUST complete either Line 12 or Line 13
12. Lobbying 13. Organizations
INCOME relating to lobbying activities for this reporting period was: EXPENSE relating to lobbying activities for this reporting period were:
Less than $5,000
Less than $5,000
$5,000 or more $
​
$5,000 or more $
​270,000.00
Provide a good faith estimate, rounded to the nearest $10,000, of all lobbying related income for the client (including all payments to the registrant by any other entity for lobbying activities on behalf of the client). 14. REPORTING Check box to indicate expense accounting method. See instructions for description of options.
Method A. Reporting amounts using LDA definitions only

Method B. Reporting amounts under section 6033(b)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code

Method C. Reporting amounts under section 162(e) of the Internal Revenue Code

Signature
Digitally Signed By: Michael L. Murray
 Date
4/16/2019 2:44:02 PM

LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.

15. General issue area code BUD

16. Specific lobbying issues

* Labor-HHS Appropriations Legislation
AGA supports adequate funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The program is fully authorized at $5.1 billion. In late September, the House and Senate passed, and the President signed into law, the FY19 Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Defense Appropriations minibus package. Included in this minibus is $3.69 Billion in LIHEAP funding, an increase of $50 Million over FY18. Since FY2017, LIHEAP funding has risen by $300 Million.

* Energy, Water & Related Agencies Legislation
Advocated for appropriations for research and development to improve natural gas technologies and natural gas vehicles.

17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None

U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area

First Name Last Name Suffix Covered Official Position (if applicable) New
George
Lowe
​
​
Brian
Caudill
​
​
Ashley
Duckman
​
​

19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None

​

LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.

15. General issue area code ENG

16. Specific lobbying issues

Promote & protect the interests of natural gas utilities in any legislation considered by the House Energy & Commerce Committee and the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee regarding energy and climate legislation affecting natural gas utilities, including efficiency mandates and NGV Market Development. These issues arose in all of the following:

* H.R. 2043 - Home Owner Managing Energy Savings Act (HOMES)
This measure would create incentives to invest in energy efficiency improvements. Specifically, if enacted, the legislation would allow homeowners who invest in energy efficiency improvements to receive the following rebates if they meet the specified energy savings targets:
*** For a retrofit which achieves 20-40% energy savings - $2,500
*** For a deep retrofit which achieves 40% or more energy savings - $5,000
AGA is working to ensure that the measure does not have the unintended consequence of promoting fuel switching from natural gas to electric end-use applications.

* Repeal of Section 433
AGA continues to advocate for the repeal of Section 433 which provides for the elimination of the use of fossil fuels in federal buildings. Vehicles include Hoeven-Manchin and/or a House equivalent that are likely to be reintroduced in the coming weeks.

* Climate Change
Climate change has generated a tremendous amount of discussion in Congress during the 1st quarter. AGA continues to promote the role of natural gas in the climate discussion by educating Members of Congress and their staff on its benefits and ability to reduce carbon emissions over time.

17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None

U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area

First Name Last Name Suffix Covered Official Position (if applicable) New
George
Lowe
​
​
Brian
Caudill
​
​
Ashley
Duckman
​
​

19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None

​

LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.

15. General issue area code HOM

16. Specific lobbying issues

Support cyber and physical security bills that uphold our current security partnership with the Transportation Security Administration public-private partnership (no top-down regulatory process); public-private information sharing; liability protections for information sharing; federal R&D support; and appropriate criminal penalties for bad actors.

17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None

U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area

First Name Last Name Suffix Covered Official Position (if applicable) New
George
Lowe
​
​
Brian
Caudill
​
​

19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None

​

LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.

15. General issue area code TRA

16. Specific lobbying issues

* Pipeline Safety Reauthorization. Promote & protect the interests of natural gas utilities as the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, House Energy and Commerce Committee and Senate Commerce Committee draft pipeline safety reauthorization legislation and any regulatory regime affecting natural gas utilities.
* Natural Gas Vehicles. Promote the development of the natural gas vehicle market.
*** Protect the Utility Service Vehicle exemption in SAFETEA-LU
*** Support incentives for expansion of natural-gas as transportation fuel and fueling stations.
*** Support incentives for natural gas vehicles.
*** Advocate for research and development of natural gas vehicle technologies.

17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None

U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area

First Name Last Name Suffix Covered Official Position (if applicable) New
George
Lowe
​
​
Brian
Caudill
​
​

19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None

​

LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.

15. General issue area code TAX

16. Specific lobbying issues

* Support lower rates on taxation of dividends.
* Protect the interests of the natural gas industry with respect to any tax reform proposals.
* Promote keeping Interest Deductibility in the tax code for LDCs.
* Educating Congress regarding impact of tax extenders on LDCs.
* Promote the development of the natural gas vehicle market by supporting various incentives.
* Tax Extenders: Congress is currently seeking to renew and extend tax provisions that have expired or are set to expire. Two of these expired provisions provide incentives for the purchase of high efficiency natural gas equipment.
*** 25(C) provides a tax credit for upgrading to high efficiency natural gas appliances in residential properties
*** 179(D) provides a tax deduction for energy efficiency improvements in commercial properties.
*** This issue arose in: S 617, Tax Extender and Disaster Relief Act of 2019
* Tax Credits: The carryover of excess corporate charitable contributions. This issue arose in H.R.1686 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the limitation on the carryover of excess corporate charitable contributions by regulated public utilities, and to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the limitation on the carryover of excess corporate charitable contributions. This bill would amend the Internal Revenue Code to increase the carryover period for charitable contributions from 5 years to 20 years. Increasing the 5 year carryover period to 20 years would eliminate the penalty present in current law that is particularly problematic for our some utilities, which operate in regulated industries and generally make significant annual charitable contributions to community charities in their operating jurisdictions. This issue is more acute for companies in our industries - regulated electric and gas utilities - because we are among the most capital intensive industries in the country. Each year, the electric and gas utilities are spending more than $100 billion in investments to improve system safety and reliability while offering an important source of much-needed, high-quality jobs.

17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None

U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Treasury - Dept of

18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area

First Name Last Name Suffix Covered Official Position (if applicable) New
George
Lowe
​
​
Brian
Caudill
​
​
Ashley
Duckman
​
​

19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None

​

Information Update Page - Complete ONLY where registration information has changed.

20. Client new address

Address
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City
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State
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Zip Code
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Country
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21. Client new principal place of business (if different than line 20)

City
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State
​
Zip Code
​
Country
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22. New General description of client’s business or activities

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LOBBYIST UPDATE

23. Name of each previously reported individual who is no longer expected to act as a lobbyist for the client

First Name
Last Name
Suffix
First Name
Last Name
Suffix
1
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​
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3
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2
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4
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ISSUE UPDATE

24. General lobbying issue that no longer pertains

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AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS

25. Add the following affiliated organization(s)

Internet Address: https://www.aga.org/about/leadership/

Name Address Principal Place of Business
(city and state or country)
Street Address
City State/Province Zip Country
City
State Country

26. Name of each previously reported organization that is no longer affiliated with the registrant or client

1 2 3

FOREIGN ENTITIES

27. Add the following foreign entities:

Name Address Principal place of business
(city and state or country) 		Amount of contribution for lobbying activities Ownership percentage in client
Street Address
City State/Province Country
City
State Country
%

28. Name of each previously reported foreign entity that no longer owns, or controls, or is affiliated with the registrant, client or affiliated organization

1 3 5
2 4 6

CONVICTIONS DISCLOSURE

29. Have any of the lobbyists listed on this report been convicted in a Federal or State Court of an offense involving bribery, extortion, embezzlement, an illegal kickback, tax evasion, fraud, a conflict of interest, making a false statement, perjury, or money laundering?

Lobbyist Name Description of Offense(s)