Question: I am planning to give a state legislator a permissible gift. I know I need to include it on my next lobbying disclosure report. Do I need to worry about anything else to make sure I am compliant with state laws?

Answer: Yes, some states have additional requirements when an expenditure is made on a covered state official or employee. You may be required to provide the official with a notification or file additional reports.

California requires filers reporting gifts aggregating $50 or more in a calendar year to an official to provide the beneficiary with the date and amount of each gift reportable and a description of the goods or services. This information must be provided to the beneficiary within 30 days following the end of each calendar quarter in which the gift was provided.

In Virginia, lobbyists must send each legislative and executive official who is required to be identified by name on schedule A or B of the Lobbyist’s Disclosure Form a copy of schedule A or B or a summary of the information pertaining to that official. Notifications are due to the official by January 10 for the preceding 12 months. Additionally, lobbyists must send post-session notifications to covered officials summarizing all gifts made by the lobbyist during the period beginning on January 1 complete through adjournment sine die of the regular session.

Maryland requires additional reporting for certain permissible expenditures. A lobbyist who invites all members of a legislative unit to a meal or reception must, at least five days before the date of the meal or reception, extend a written invitation to all members of the legislative unit and register the meal or reception with the Department of Legislative Services on Form 13E by filing the report electronically. A post-event filing is then required within 14 days after the date of the meal or reception meal or reception.

Proper gift disclosure can involve more than simply including the gift on your normal lobbying disclosure reports. It is always a good idea to check the jurisdiction’s specific disclosure requirements on our website prior to giving a gift.

You can find this information under the “Reports Required” section of the U.S. Lobbying Compliance Laws online publication.

A bill seeking to increase lobbyist disclosure advanced in committee in the Florida state senate. Senate Bill 686, if passed, will require lobbyists to report on a monthly basis the bills and amendments they are attempting to influence. This would include listing the specific bar code the legislature uses to track amendments.

The bill still has several hurdles to clear before reaching the Senate floor, including three more committees.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed Senate Bill 2629 on Monday, July 7, amending Section 97-3 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes. Effective immediately, registered lobbyists, lobbyist employers, and certain individuals are required to file statements of expenditures with the state ethics commission within 30 days of adjournment sine die of any special session of the Legislature.

Individuals who are not lobbyists or lobbyist employers must only file if spending $750 or more in any six month period for the purpose of influencing legislative or administrative action, or a ballot issue, by communicating with public officials or engaging in grassroots activity.

The report must cover the period from May 1 through adjournment sine die of the special session and applies to and includes only those expenditures and contributions relating to legislative action considered during said special session.

The special report is an addition to, but does not take the place of, all other reporting requirements.

Senator Jeanette K. White has introduced Senate Bill 150, a bill concerning lobbyist registration and reporting. The bill proposes the removal of the ability to register within 48 hours of beginning to lobby and would require all lobbyists to register prior to lobbying, employers to register prior to engaging a lobbyist, and lobbying firms to file their lobbyist listings prior to the lobbyists commencing lobbying activities.

The bill also requires lobbying firms to update their listing of lobbyists before any new lobbyist commences lobbying activities and within 48 hours of a lobbyist’s termination. Finally, the threshold on reportable gifts to legislators would be decreased from $15 to $10.

If passed in present form, the changes would take effect July 1, 2012.