109 STAT. 694 PUBLIC LAW 104.-65—DEC. 19, 1995 if that agency is charged with responsibility for such proceeding, inquiry, investigation, or filing; (xiii) made in compliance with written agency procedures regarding an adjudication conducted by the agency under section 554 of title 5, United States Code, or substantially similar provisions; (xiv) a written comment filed in the course of a public proceeding or any other communication that is made on the record in a public proceeding; (xv) a petition for agency action made in writing and required to be a matter of public record pursuant to established agency procedures; (xvi) made on behalf of an individual with regard to that individual's benefits, employment, or other personal matters involving only that individual, except that this clause does not apply to any communication with— (I) a covered executive branch official, or (II) a covered legislative branch official (other than the individual's elected Members of Congress or employees who work under such Members' direct supervision), with respect to the formulation, modification, or adoption of private legislation for the relief of that individual; (xvii) a disclosure by an individual that is protected under the amendments made by the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989, under the Inspector General Act of 1978, or under another provision of law; (xviii) made by— (I) a church, its integrated auxiliary, or a convention or association of churches that is exempt from filing a Federal income tax return under paragraph 2(A)(i) of section 6033(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or (II) a religious order that is exempt from filing a Federal income tax return under paragraph (2)(A)(iii) of such section 6033(a); and (xix) between— (I) officials of a self-regulatory organization (as defined in section 3(a)(26) of the Securities Exchange Act) that is registered with or established by the Securities and Exchange Commission as required by that Act or a similar organization that is designated by or registered with the Commodities Future Trading Commission as provided under the Commodity Exchange Act; and (II) the Securities and Exchange Commission or the Commodities Future Trading Commission, respectively; relating to the regulatory responsibilities of such organization under that Act. (9) LOBBYING FIRM.— The term "lobbying firm" means a person or entity that has 1 or more employees who are lobbyists on behsdf of a client other than that person or entity. The term also includes a self-employed individual who is a lobbyist.
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