On November 28, 2018, a lawsuit had been filed against the Joint Commission on Public Ethics to stop the commission’s Comprehensive Lobbying Regulations from going into effect on January 1, 2019.

David Grandeau, a former lobbying enforcement official and one of three petitioners in the lawsuit, argued the commission lacks the authority to create regulations that expand and amend New York’s Lobbying Act.

On December 19, a settlement was reached between the two parties. As a result, the comprehensive regulations are defined as a “statement’’ for how the commission plans to administer and enforce state lobbying law.

On April 24, the New York Joint Commission on Public Ethics adopted Part 943, commonly referred to as the Comprehensive Lobbying Regulations. The rules were originally introduced in October 2016 and have gone through several revisions.

The adopted regulations compile existing guidelines and advisory opinions regarding rules and requirements related to lobbying. For example, the adopted revised rules include an online ethics training requirement for lobbyists and provide further clarification regarding reportable expenses attributable to social media activities and grassroots lobbying.

The adopted rules will become effective January 1, 2019, and are available at the JCOPE website.

On January 30, the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) submitted a Notice of Revised Rulemaking for Part 943, commonly referred to as Comprehensive Lobbying Regulations, to the New York Department of State. The revised rules include an online ethics training requirement for lobbyists.

Additionally, the revised rules provide further clarification regarding reportable expenses attributable to social media activities and grassroots lobbying.

New York’s rule making process requires an additional comment period once a Notice of Revised Rulemaking is filed and published in the New York State Register.

The new comment period expires on March 16, and the revised rules are available at http://www.jcope.ny.gov/advice/complobbyregulations.html.

The New York Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) issued a call to concerned individuals for comments regarding the Notice of Proposed Rulemakings for Comprehensive Lobbying regulations and Source of Funding Disclosure Regulations.

The comprehensive regulations expand the definition of lobbying to include indirect lobbying, like setting up a meeting between a legislator and a lobbyist. According to JCOPE, the purpose of the proposed regulations is to fully incorporate existing guidelines and decades of advisory opinions.

The hearing will be held on Monday, October 30, 2017 in Hearing Room A of the Legislative Office Building. All public comments must be submitted by 5 p.m. on October 6, 2017, to Carol Quinn, Deputy Director of Lobbying Disclosure, at carol.quinn@jcope.ny.gov.

Additional details are available on the JCOPE website.