The city of Sacramento recently passed Ordinance 2024-0015, which amends various aspects of the city’s lobbying code.

The definition of lobbyist is amended to lower the compensation threshold of when a contract lobbyist must register from $3,000 to $1,500.

The threshold for a business or organization lobbyist is lowered from 100 hours to 15 hours or more in any three-month period for owners, officers, and employees.

Additional reporting requirements were added for both a contract lobbyist and business or organization lobbyist.

A contract lobbyist must now report the dollar amount of either the received or agreed-upon compensation from each client regarding each legislative or administrative action the lobbyist sought to influence on behalf of the client.

A business or organization lobbyist must now report the dollar amount, in terms of salary or wages, of the time spent by each owner, officer, or employee who conducted lobbying activities for each legislative or administrative action.

Lobbyists must also report all campaign contributions made by a lobbyist (or a client at the lobbyist’s behest) to any city official regardless of the amount.

Finally, the city has passed a gift limit of $10 per calendar month from city lobbyists to any city official. Ordinance 2024-0015 becomes effective July 25.