The Office of the Secretary of State released a notice on December 17 that registration of lobbyists and lobbying entities will be delayed until January 6, 2020.

The delay is due to the programming required to implement the registration changes required by Senate Bill 1639, which passed during the veto session in November.

Senate Bill 1639 requires lobbying entities to report if they are registered or expect to be required to register to lobby a unit of local government.

Additionally, the lobbying entity must disclose the name of the unit of local government.

In 2018, the Baltimore City Council enacted the Transparency in Lobbying Act requiring lobbyists to file reports twice a year and affirmatively identify their clients when approaching city government officials.

The effective date of the act was contingent on a viable online reporting system being implemented.

The Baltimore City Ethics Board has implemented the online lobbying reporting system.

Lobbyist registrations and reports can now be filed electronically.

The next year-end report is due on or before January 31, 2020, covering all of the reporting period immediately preceding January 1 through December 31, 2019.

The ethics board has advised persons that previously filed paper registration statements to submit the year-end report on paper and not electronically.

Following a weekend storm that put parts of Montana under record levels of snow, the Commissioner of Political Practices Jeff Mangan extended the deadlines for filing campaign finance reports for candidates and committees from Pondera, Teton, and the Blackfeet Nation.

Mangan cited problems with internet access, telephones, and mail service.

For candidates and committees affected by the storm, the deadline to file campaign finance reports is October 4 by 5 p.m.

City candidates in the general election not affected by the storm still file by October 1.

City committees not affected by the storm still file by September 30.

The Puerto Rico Department of Justice plans to launch its digital Lobbyist Registry platform this week to regulate interactions with government agencies.

The launch is pursuant to former Gov. Ricardo Rosselló’s executive order.

Executive Order 2019-031 provides that any person who carries out any lobbying activity before a government agency must register with the Lobbyists Registry and provide a sworn statement with the clients he or she represents before the Government of Puerto Rico.

Additionally, the lobbyist must disclose the businesses in which he or she has roles in either through shares or professional service contracts.

The executive order also calls for the creation of a transparency code prohibiting all executive branch cabinet members from participating in any type of meeting with any person who engages in lobbying and not registered in the Lobbyist Registry.

The Arizona Secretary of State sent out communication this week regarding updates to the lobbyist filing and registration process.

Senate Bill 1261, passed by the Legislature this year, removes all notarization requirements from lobbying forms.

Updated forms reflecting the elimination of notarization will be put on the state website.

Forms will also be sent to registered lobbyists in advance of the bill’s effective date on August 27, 2019.

The Arizona Secretary of State is also working to implement an online payment portal.

More information about the payment portal is forthcoming.

The Vermont General Assembly adjourned sine die on May 29.

During the session the Legislature introduced a bill changing lobbying reporting dates from the 15th to the 3rd of the month.

Lawmakers also introduced Senate Bill 157, proposing to grant the ethics commission authority to adopt an enforceable code of ethics, adjudicate complaints, and impose penalties upon finding a violation.

Both bills will carryover to 2020 as they failed to pass this legislative session.

On October 15, 2018, the Baltimore City Council passed an ethics bill introduced by City Councilman Zeke Cohen.

Ordinance No. 18-0230, also known as the Transparency in Lobbying Act, requires lobbyists to file reports twice a year and affirmatively identify their clients when approaching city government officials. Additionally, any lobbyist violating the act may be banned for a period of three years.

An amendment was adopted delaying the effective date of the reporting provisions. As a result, lobbyists will file the annual report due January 31, 2019.

Following the 2019 annual report, lobbyists will likely report semi-annually beginning with a report due on July 31, 2019. The bill will become effective 90 days from the signature of Mayor Catherine Pugh.

On July 24, the Berkeley City Council will meet in order to adopt the first reading of a new lobbying ordinance.

The ordinance requires the registration and reporting of lobbyists in the city.

Information in the ordinance includes requirements for lobbyist training, reporting periods, audits, gift restrictions, and penalties.

The City Council will also discuss an amendment to the revolving door provision, increasing it from one to two years.

Gov. Jeff Colyer signed a transparency bill to increase penalties for failing to file timely reports.

Effective July 1, House Bill 2642 imposes late fees for any report over 48 hours late for candidates, political committees, and lobbyists.

Penalties start at $100 for the first day and $50 for each subsequent day the report is late with a maximum up to $1,000.

The bill also requires lobbyist to file employment and expenditure reports electronically with the Office of the Secretary of State.

The Oklahoma Ethics Commission recently submitted its 2018 Promulgated Ethics Rules to the governor and both houses of the Legislature.

Proposed changes include, but are not limited to, a revolving door provision prohibiting elected state officers and chief administrative officers from lobbying for two years following their terms of office or service, new rules regarding the due dates of electronic filings, and revised reporting periods for candidate election reports and independent expenditure reports.

If the Legislature chooses not to reject the proposed rule changes, all amendments will be effective upon adjournment sine die of the 2018 regular legislative session.

Gov. Tom Wolf signed House Bill 1175 into law, amending filing requirements and penalties for lobbyists.

The new law requires electronic filing of lobbying disclosures and increases the monetary penalties assessed for late reports.

Fines between $50 and $200 per day, depending on the number of days late, can now be levied and the maximum penalty increases from $2,000 to $4,000.

These new penalties take effect immediately and the electronic filing requirement takes effect in 60 days.

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.

Does your advocacy work include grassroots lobbying? Do you know what actions are considered grassroots lobbying?

Generally, Grassroots Lobbying is defined as the act of encouraging the public to contact lawmakers and administrative officials for the purpose of influencing legislation or other official action.

These actions may trigger registration requirements.  And if your organization already has registered lobbyists, these actions may have to be reported.

State and Federal Communications is here to help you. Our newest tip sheet on Grassroots Lobbying will provide you with guidance on how to ensure you can stay compliant with all your grassroots advocacy efforts.

This tip sheet will provide you with the key information to keep in mind as you begin your efforts, including knowing what activities trigger registration and when you have to register.

Click here to get this FREE tip sheet today – and ensure you and your team can say “I Comply!”

Q: I have been out of the office on an extended vacation.  I just noticed a reminder e-mail that I have a lobbying report due today that cannot be filed electronically.  What are my options?

A: You still have the ability to submit the report in a timely manner.  Your first step should be to confirm the reportable activity for your report.  If it is your lobbyist report, check your calendar or records to see whether you lobbied during the reporting period.  If the report is for your employer, you must review not only your activity, but possibly information for a contract lobbyist as well…

Click here to read the full article…