HLOGA is a complex law and can be tough to fully understand. So it’s back to basics with today’s Ethics Tip: registering as a lobbyist.
Who must register as a lobbyist?
Merely making one contact with a lawmaker does not mean that an individual must register as a lobbyist. There are several triggers that must be met before registration.
To file an LD-1 (registration form), a lobbying organization (including an individual doing business as a lobbyist), must meet certain triggers. Triggers depend on whether the organization retains clients (reports lobbying income on registration forms) or employs its own in-house lobbyists (reports expenditures on registration forms).
If retaining clients, one person (or entity) must
- Make more than one lobbying contact and
- Spend more than 20% of time on lobbying activities and
- Must receive more than $3,000 in lobbying income in quarter
If employing lobbyists for own issues, one person (or entity) must
- Make more than one lobbying contact and
- Spend more than 20% of time on lobbying activities and
- Must spend more than $11,500 on lobbying activities in quarter
Registering as a lobbyist:
Once the thresholds are reached by the organization or individual filing, an LD-1 form must be filed at the earliest point, either…
- Within 45 days of being retained/employed to make lobbying contact
- Within 45 days of first lobbying contact
What must be filed:
- Organizations are required to report the issues upon which they are lobbying or being retained to lobby, and the lobbyists expected to be lobbying for the organization / client.
- Organizations required to file quarterly income and expenditure reports (Form LD-2) .
- Organizations AND individual lobbyists are required to file semi-annual report of political contributions / other payments (Form LD-203).
- All lobbyists are subject to compliance with the House and Senate gift and ethics rules, and must certify on their LD-203 form that they have read and understood the ethics rules.
These disclosures are filed with the House Office of the Clerk and the Secretary of the Senate.
Tags: Ethics, Lobbying, lobbying registration
