LobbyComply Blog

During the 2026 session, Minnesota lawmakers passed an omnibus bill that significantly modifies the state requirements for lobbying reporting and disclaimers. Gov. Walz signed House File 4239 into law on May 18, and all the compliance changes detailed below became effective immediately. This guide breaks down the critical updates to principal reporting, lobbyist gift disclosures, and grassroots lobbying material disclaimers to help organizations remain compliant.

Key Updates to Reporting Requirements

House File 4239 introduces targeted changes to how lobbyists and their principals must track and report expenses and gifts to the state.

Principal Expenditure Reporting

The new legislation alters the list of expenditures that a lobbyist principal must account for. The most notable updates include:

• Added Requirements: Expenses for financial professionals have been added to the list of required expenditures.
• Removed Requirements: The requirement to include disbursements over $2,000 for paid advertising related to grassroots lobbying was removed.

Principals are still required to report expenditures in support of lobbying efforts for a wide variety of ongoing activities. These covered activities include advertising, mailing, research, consulting, surveys, expert testimony, finance professionals, studies, reports, analysis, the compilation and dissemination of information, communications, social media, public relations campaigns, and legal counsel.

Lobbyist Gift Disclosures

Lobbyist gift reporting has been streamlined under the new Minnesota law. The requirement to report the home or office address of the official receiving the gift, item, or benefit has been completely removed. Moving forward, gift disclosures must exclusively include the official’s name, professional title, and government jurisdiction.

New Disclaimer Rules for Lobbying Materials

To increase transparency, Minnesota now mandates a specific disclaimer on grassroots lobbying materials. This requirement applies whenever materials request the public to contact public or local officials to influence legislative action, administrative action, or the official action of a political subdivision.

The disclaimer must clearly identify the individual or association responsible for the content. Furthermore, it must provide direct contact information, such as a phone number, an email address, or a website.

Exemptions to the Rule

This indirect lobbying disclaimer is not universally required. Election-related advertising and membership communications are exempt from this specific mandate.

Disclaimer Formatting and Display Criteria

The law outlines strict visibility and duration standards for disclaimers based on the specific medium used:

• Written Advertisements: For materials such as printed mailers, the disclaimer must be printed in 8-point or larger font. The text must be in black or a high contrast color.
• Websites and Social Media: Disclaimers placed online must be clearly legible without requiring the user to adjust or magnify the screen.
• Audiovisual Advertisements: The video advertisement must end with the disclaimer displayed on the screen for a minimum of four seconds.
• Audio-only Advertisements: Disclaimers spoken on the radio or podcasts must be easily understandable to the listener.
• Signs: Disclaimers must be printed in black or high contrast text. The font size must range from 12-point to 6 inches or taller, depending entirely on the overall size of the physical sign.

Penalties for Noncompliance

Failing to adhere to these new disclaimer requirements carries significant financial consequences for individuals and organizations. The Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board is officially authorized to impose a civil penalty of up to $3,000 for failing to include a required disclaimer on covered materials.

Frequently Asked Questions About Minnesota Lobbying Changes

When did the new Minnesota lobbying reporting rules take effect?

The changes to lobbying reporting and disclaimers detailed in House File 4239 became effective immediately after Gov. Walz signed the omnibus bill on May 18, 2026. Organizations must comply with these rules for all current and future covered activities.

What specific contact information is required on grassroots lobbying disclaimers?

The law mandates that the disclaimer must clearly identify the individual or association responsible for the content. Alongside this identification, you must provide at least one valid method of contact. This can be a phone number, an email address, or website contact information.

What needs to be included when reporting a gift to an official?

Under the updated guidelines, you only need to report the official’s name, their title, and their government jurisdiction. You no longer need to track or report the address of the official to whom the gift, item, or benefit was given.

Compliance and Real-Time Alerts For Minnesota 

Navigating sudden statutory adjustments requires continuous vigilance to keep organizational advocacy aligned with state laws. If you want to ensure your compliance programs remain accurate under these new regulations, explore how tailored monitoring and advice can safeguard your operations by reviewing our Compliance Consulting and Alerts Services.

The Hawaii Legislature adjourned sine die on May 8. Lawmakers passed bills related to campaign financing. Pursuant to Senate Bill 2532, political committees will be required to electronically file organizational reports, fundraiser notices, and terminations with the Campaign Spending Commission. Under Senate Bill 2247, executive branch employees who were nominated and confirmed to compensated positions with influence on procurement and contract management are prohibited from attending or participating in political fundraising activities until the employment ends.

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The Connecticut General Assembly adjourned on May 6. During the session, lawmakers passed House Bill 5532, which makes changes to monetary thresholds under the state code of ethics. Changes include increasing the threshold for filing monthly lobbyist reports, reporting lobbying expenditures, and for registration of lobbyists who are not compensated but make gifts to public officials. The thresholds for certain exempted gifts also increased. Additionally, the threshold for reporting gifts given to public officials by a person doing business or seeking to do business with the state is doubled to $20. If approved by the governor, relevant provisions of the bill will be effective October 1. This does affect lobbying reporting. The final monthly employer activity report required for the regular session is due June 10.

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Stay up to date with all state and federal lobbying laws. Sign up for our online guidebooks and never miss a compliance law change.

We are pleased to congratulate Renae Bomba, Esq., Manager of Compliance Services at State and Federal Communications, on her 10-year anniversary with the company.

Renae began her career at State and Federal Communications in 2016 as a Research Associate. She advanced to Compliance Associate in 2017 and was promoted to Manager of Compliance Services in 2020. Throughout her tenure, Renae has been driven by a commitment to helping clients remain compliant while making their work easier and more efficient.

The Compliance team provides essential guidance to consulting clients on registrations, reporting requirements, and terminations, working closely with them to ensure compliance with lobbying and campaign contribution laws. Clear and consistent communication is critical, as state and local regulations are constantly evolving. State and Federal Communications’ continued investment in technology has also played an important role in supporting the growing and changing needs of clients.

“In the Compliance Department, you work with and learn the different filing systems and rules” Renae explained. “You talk with clients, help them to the best of your ability, and gather all the information needed to file reports correctly.”

Renae is a trusted expert within the Compliance Department, known for her deep familiarity with compliance systems and processes. She values her strong relationships with existing clients and enjoys guiding new clients as they integrate into State and Federal Communications’ systems and workflows.

When regulatory quirks or nuances create challenges during the filing process, Renae works directly with state agencies and organizations to advocate for clients and identify what may need to be fixed, clarified, or improved. Much of this work involves managing risk and understanding how differences in state rules—and changes to those rules—can impact clients.

The team at State and Federal Communications, Inc. is made up of experienced professionals you can trust. Learn more about how we support your compliance needs at https://stateandfed.com/services/.

Your Question: Where do I need to register after I lobbied in a state?

Our Expertise: Deciding whether and where you need to register is already a herculean task, as you must navigate the labyrinthine world of state compliance laws. Along the way, you may encountera divergence in the path: one route leads to state registration, another to local registration, and a third requires both.
Thankfully, we at State and Federal Communications are here to offer you a ball of thread to assist with navigating the myriad paths that make up state and local compliance.

The first step in determining where registration is required is identifying who or what you are lobbying. Local lobbying generally targets city councils, county boards, and municipal authorities, while state lobbying targets state legislatures, governors, and state agencies. One potential hazard is misunderstanding which level of government oversees the entity you are lobbying.

For example, is the water authority owned by the city, county, or state? Is a local college part of the state university system? Lobbying these peripheral governmental entities may require registration with the entity itself, the local municipality, the county, or the state, depending on its governance.

Once you understand the scope of your lobbying, the next step is to review the law and verify the registration threshold. Some localities have their own reporting systems, while some states include local-level lobbying in their registration threshold. This analysis is done by delving into the registration threshold, then focusing on the definition of lobbying. If the definition concentrates on “state legislatures or agencies,” local lobbying is excluded.

Next, check to see if the local municipality you are lobbying has its own lobbying law and determine whether local registration is required. Finally, if applicable, confirm that the entity itself does not require registration.

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Question: I’m a registered lobbyist in multiple states—how long do I need to keep my notes, meeting records, and receipts? Is it okay to get rid of them after the report is filed?

Answer: No. The best practice is to maintain your records for the full period required by each jurisdiction where you are registered. You should also be aware of whether any of those jurisdictions conduct regular or random audits, as you may need to produce your records during that process.

Most jurisdictions set a specific retention period for lobbying records. If you are registered in multiple states, it’s usually simplest—and safest—to follow the longest retention period among them. For example, if you are registered in both Washington and Idaho, you may choose to keep all records for five years, which matches Washington’s requirement, rather than maintaining separate timelines (three years for Idaho and five for Washington).

Registering as a lobbyist brings reporting obligations, but it also creates responsibilities for proper record maintenance, and it may subject your records to audit. Maintaining complete and accurate records helps substantiate the information included in your reports and reduces risks during an audit or investigation. Make sure to keep all required documents for the full period mandated by each jurisdiction to avoid future compliance issues.

Some states conduct regular audits. In 2025, Connecticut randomly selected 30 client lobbyist names for audit. Florida’s Legislative Auditing Committee selects a random sample of 3% of all lobbying firms each year for compensation report audits. Tennessee audits the registration statements, amendments, and lobbying reports of up to 4% of lobbyists annually.

Keeping your records organized and preserved for the required period ensures you are prepared if you are ever selected for an audit.

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More information about procurement lobbying requirements can easily be found on our website in the Document Retention and Audits section of the Lobbying Compliance Guidebook. Not a subscriber yet, sign up for your free demo today.