Oklahoma Ethics Rules Effective Upon Legislature’s Adjournment - State and Federal Communications

May 30, 2017  •  

Oklahoma Ethics Rules Effective Upon Legislature’s Adjournment

The Oklahoma Legislature adjourned sine die on Friday, May 26. As a result, all rule amendments proposed and approved by the Oklahoma Ethics Commission became law.

Effective immediately the lobbyist registration renewal deadline has been extended from December 31 to January 15. Changes to lobbyist reporting include moving all executive lobbyist report due dates as well as the January and July legislative lobbyist reports due dates to the 15th of the month. All other legislative reports remain due on the 5th of the month. Campaign finance rule amendments include new requirements for committees formed for the purpose of influencing a state question. Such committees must include the number of the state question as part of the name of the committee. They must also file reports any time an expenditure of $5,000 or more is made to advocate the passage or defeat of a state question. The reports are due at the same time as those for independent expenditures and electioneering communications.

Effective January 1, 2018, the limit for lobbyist or lobbyist principal gifts given in recognition of infrequently occurring occasions of personal significance will drop from $200 to $100 in any calendar year. Such gifts will be required to be given and received contemporaneously with the occasion or at times when such gifts are traditionally given. Infrequently occurring occasions of personal significance will not include annual events such as birthdays or anniversaries; rather, they will refer only to major life events. Lastly, a lobbyist providing a meal to a state officer or employee will be required to be present for the meal. Similarly, a lobbyist providing a gift including attendance at an event will be required to attend the event with the recipient of the gift.

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