The Minnesota Legislature is considering two bills proposing an overhaul to the lobbyist reporting requirements.

Senate File 1636 requires lobbyist principals to report the total amount, spent by the principal during the preceding calendar year on each of four types of lobbying:

1. Lobbying to influence legislative action
2. Lobbying to influence administrative action
3. Lobbying to influence official action of political subdivisions
4. Lobbying to influence administrative action in cases of rate setting, power plant and powerline siting, with no rounding of the amounts, so lobbyist principals will be reporting actual amount spent for each category of lobbying.

House File 1723 requires lobbyist principals to report the total amount, rounded to the nearest $10,000 spent by the principal during the preceding calendar year on each of four types of lobbying:

1. Lobbying to influence legislative action
2. Lobbying to influence administrative action
3. Lobbying to influence official action of political subdivisions
4. Lobbying to influence administrative action in cases of rate setting, power plant and powerline siting, and granting of certificates of need for a large energy facility.

Currently principals are only required to report the total amount, rounded to the nearest $20,000, for all categories.