On May 24, the Rhode Island House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill changing the state’s lobbying law. House Bill 7388A creates a new system of lobbying regulation by creating one set of rules for lobbying both the executive and legislative branches of state government.

The bill also includes increases in fines, redefines lobbying, and allows the Secretary of State to have subpoena power to investigate violations. Other requirements in the bill include the reporting of lobbyists’ income and expenditures and the reporting of names of executive branch officials lobbied. A similar bill is scheduled for a vote in the Senate on May 26.