Client reporting

Lobbyist client report template and example

Every month, someone on the team copies bill status, hearing notes, and wins into a document so a client can read two minutes of news. Below is a template and a filled example you can copy into any document today, and a way to take the copying out of the process.

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Scoped on a call with your team, built on the Apogee core, delivered with a subscription.

The monthly update that eats an afternoon

Most client reports are assembled by hand. Someone checks the status of each tracked bill, scrolls back through meeting notes, pastes it all into a document, and rewrites it so it reads well to a person who did not follow the week. The facts take minutes to find. The formatting and the copying take the afternoon.

The same bills are re-checked every month by hand
Meeting notes and public record get mixed together, so the reader cannot tell what is confirmed
Each client wants a slightly different shape, so nothing is reused

What a client wants in the first two minutes

A client, a board member, or a member company is rarely reading to learn the legislative process. They read to answer three questions fast.

Did anything move on the issues being watched for the client?
What happens next, and when?
Do you need a decision or an introduction from me?

The parts of a good client update

The strongest updates are short and put the answer first. Five parts cover almost every client.

Bottom line: one or two sentences on where things stand and whether that is good or bad for the client
What moved: bill by bill, the status change since the last report, with the date
What is next: scheduled hearings, markups, votes, and comment deadlines
What was done: meetings held and outreach made, kept separate from public record
Asks: any decision, introduction, or document needed from the client

Keep your own notes apart from the public record

A bill status is a public fact that anyone can check. A staffer's reaction in a meeting is your own observation. Label the two differently so the client knows which is which, and so a later reader can trust the first kind without re-checking it.

A filled example (fictional)

This example uses a made-up client and made-up bills. It shows the length and tone to aim for: short, answer first, dated.

Monthly update - Example Manufacturing Co.
Prepared by: [Your name], [Your firm]
Period: [Month Year]

BOTTOM LINE
The Example Water Infrastructure Act cleared committee this month, which is good news for your capital plan. The tax provision you flagged is still in the draft and is the main risk going into next month.

WHAT MOVED
- Example Water Infrastructure Act (H.R. 0000): reported out of committee on the 12th. Next step is a floor vote; no date set.
- Example Tax Fairness Act (S. 0000): hearing held on the 19th. The provision on equipment depreciation was discussed but not changed.
- Example Agency Rule on Discharge Permits (docket EXAMPLE-0000): comment period closes on the 30th.

WHAT IS NEXT
- Week of the 3rd: subcommittee markup on the tax bill (not yet scheduled; watching the committee calendar).
- The 30th: deadline to file comments on the permit rule.

WHAT WAS DONE
- Met with a committee staffer on the 8th (own notes, not public record): staff expect the tax language to be revisited after the recess.
- Sent your one-page impact summary to two member offices.

ASKS
- Please confirm by the 20th whether you want a formal comment filed on the permit rule.
- An introduction to your plant manager in the affected district would help make the case in person.

Fictional example. Names, bills, and dates are invented for illustration.

The template: copy and paste

Copy this into any document or email. Replace the bracketed parts. Delete a section if it has nothing to report; a short report beats a padded one.

Monthly update - [Client name]
Prepared by: [Your name], [Your firm]
Period: [Month Year]

BOTTOM LINE
[One or two sentences: where things stand, and whether that helps or hurts the client.]

WHAT MOVED
- [Bill or rule, number]: [status change since the last report, with date]. Next step: [what happens next, if known].
- [Bill or rule, number]: [status change, with date].

WHAT IS NEXT
- [Date or week]: [hearing, markup, vote, or comment deadline].
- [Date or week]: [next scheduled event].

WHAT WAS DONE
- [Meeting or outreach, date]: [outcome]. Mark your own observations as such.

ASKS
- [Decision, introduction, or document needed from the client, and by when.]

Checklist before you send

The first two sentences answer "did anything move?"
Every status is dated and names the bill or rule number
Public record and your own notes are labeled differently
Every upcoming date is in the report, including comment deadlines
Any ask has a date next to it
No jargon the client has to look up
A person on your team has read it start to finish

Taking the copying out of the process

1
Request client reporting and describe what your reports look like today.
2
A short call scopes the shape: which clients, which sections, how often, and where your notes live.
3
It is built on the Apogee core, so the report can draw on the bills and activity you already follow there.
4
It is delivered with your subscription. You review and edit each report and send it yourself.

Frequently asked questions

What should a lobbyist client report include?

A bottom line first, then what moved since the last report, what is scheduled next, what was done on the client's behalf, and any asks. Dates and bill or rule numbers make each item easy to check.

How often should a lobbyist send a client report?

Monthly is common, with a short note in between when something moves. The right rhythm depends on the engagement and on how fast the client's issues are changing.

Is a client report the same as a lobbying disclosure filing?

No. A client report is a private update to the client. Lobbying disclosure reports such as the LD-2 are filed with the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate. See the lobbying disclosure page for that.

Does Apogee generate client reports today?

Client reporting is a solution scoped with your team and built on the Apogee core. The template on this page works in any document in the meantime. You review and send every report yourself.

How can a team ask about it?

Use the contact page. Describe your current report and how many clients you report to. A scoping call follows.

Ask about client reporting