On May 17, Reps. Marty Meehan (D-MA) and Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) formally filed H.R. 2412, the Special Interest Lobbying and Ethics Accountability Act (SILEA). The bill would amend the Lobby Disclosure Act of 1995 (LDA), which requires organizations that engage in a certain amount of lobbying activity to register and file disclosure reports. Of particular concern to nonprofits are four provisions that would increase disclosure requirements.

The New York Times recently uncovered startling security flaws at chemical plants in Dallas and New Orleans after a writer "milled about" for some time around the fence line of plants before even being approached by facility security personnel. Reporters have regularly penetrated chemical plant security with great ease, notwithstanding claims by the chemical industry that it is voluntarily improving security. A May 22 New York Times editorial reported on these gaping security holes surrounding chemical plants that use large quantities of the most hazardous substances.

On April 28, a coalition of conservative groups sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) objecting to the Senate Finance Committee's effort to tighten rules governing charities. Shortly after that, the Independent Sector Panel on the Nonprofit Sector released its second set of draft regulations for review and comment by the sector.

During a congressional hearing on May 5, the House Government Reform Committee harshly criticized both the Food and Drug Administration and drug makers for their role in approving and marketing Vioxx, an arthritis painkiller linked to heart disease.