LobbyComply Blog

The Rhode Island Ethics Commission voted to increase the maximum value of gifts public officials can receive from interested persons. The current gift limit of $25 with an aggregated limit of $75 per year will be doubled to $50 and $150 per year. Additionally, the definition of interested persons will be expanded to include lobbyists and lobbyist employers. The new limits will be effective January 1, 2026, after the commission finalizes the changes.

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County Commissioners held a public hearing on August 5 on a repeal and reenactment of the county ethics code. Bill No. 5-2025 brings the county’s code in line with state mandates for local ethics codes. Changes include amending definitions relating to lobbying and gift terms; an additional lobbyist report due on July 31; and a new $250 lobbyist compensation threshold for registration.

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Beginning January 19, 2026, the Canadian federal lobbyist registration threshold for organizations and corporations will be lowered. On July 16, the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada issued new interpretation bulletins concerning the “significant part of the duties” threshold for when organizations and corporations must be registered under the Lobbying Act.

One bulletin lowers the lobbyist registration threshold from the current 32 hours per month to 8 hours in a rolling four-week period.

A second updated interpretation addresses the Lobbying Act’s revolving door provision and interprets a significant part of a designated public office holder’s work as 8 hours or more in any given consecutive four-week period. This would include any time spent preparing for and participating in oral communications with public office holders as well as drafting written communications to public office holders.

An additional bulletin addressing the transitional period for former designated public office holders employed by corporations was also issued.

The commissioner believes these interpretations are consistent with the Lobbying Act.

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Gov. Greg Gianforte recently signed a bill revising various lobbying thresholds. House Bill 804 codifies the lobbyist payment threshold at $3,000 and provides for adjustment of the threshold in each even-numbered year. The inflation factor will be determined by dividing the consumer price index for June of even-numbered years by the consumer price index for June of the prior year, with changes becoming effective January 1 of the following odd year. The principal reporting threshold will also decrease from $5,000 to $3,000 during any calendar year, with monthly reports being triggered upon spending $3,000 or more during the prior calendar month. House Bill 804 becomes effective October 1.