On March 7, a bill to amend Saskatchewan’s lobbying law was introduced in the Legislative Assembly.

Bill No. 615, An Act to amend The Lobbyist Act, would remove the current 100-hour annual threshold required to trigger registration for in-house lobbyists.

Additionally, the bill would eliminate the registration exemption for non-profits, except for those non-profit entities with no more than five employees.

The bill also prohibits Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) from accepting gifts, unless a gift is accepted in accordance with The Members’ Conflict of Interest Act. The gift prohibition in the bill extends to an MLA’s staff, members of the Executive Council and their staff, employees of the ministry, individuals in certain appointed positions, and employees, officers, directors, and members of governmental institutions.

If the legislation passes, the amendments would come into force on Assent.