Chapter
264
2008 -- H 8174
Enacted 07/05/08
A N A C T
RELATING TO GENERAL
ASSEMBLY - LOBBYING
Introduced By:
Representative Arthur J. Corvese
Date Introduced: April 22,
2008
It is
enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION
1. Section 22-10-9 of the General Laws in Chapter 22-10 entitled
"Lobbying"
is
hereby amended to read as follows:
22-10-9.
Financial reports. -- (a) (1) Every person that engages any person to
act as a
lobbyist
concerning legislative matters, and the lobbyist, shall individually file with
the secretary
of state
a complete and itemized report of all expenditures made for the purpose of
lobbying,
including,
but not limited to, advertising expenses and all compensation paid to the
lobbyists for
lobbying,
and all campaign contributions in excess of one hundred dollars ($100) to state
and
municipal
elected officials and state political action committees. The report shall also
include any
expenditure,
gift, or honorarium of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) or more for each occurrence
concerning
any legislative or executive official paid or incurred by the person who
engages the
lobbyist
and the lobbyist. The report shall include the names of the individuals
receiving or in
whose
behalf the expenditures have been made, and the reason, date, and place of the
expenditures.
(2) Any function to which the entire membership of the general assembly, or of
either
chamber or
of any legally constituted legislative committee or commission within the
general
assembly,
is invited, which is sponsored by any person, corporation, or association
having
engaged
any person to act as a lobbyist, or by any lobbyist, shall be deemed a lobbying
activity,
and any
funds expended or incurred for that function shall be set forth in the
financial report.
(3) The initial report shall be filed by the person, corporation, or
association having
engaged
any person to act as a lobbyist and by the lobbyist at the time of their
initial registration,
and
updated reports shall be filed with the secretary of state by the fifteenth
(15th) day of each
month
thereafter, beginning in March until the earlier of the termination of the
lobbyist's
engagement
or the final adjournment of the
general assembly. A final report shall be filed no later
than
thirty (30) days after the earlier of the termination of the lobbyist's
engagement or the final
adjournment
of the general assembly; provided, however, in the year 2005, the
first updated
report
filed under this subsection shall be filed by June 15th.
(4) All reports shall be on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, and
the reports
shall be
open for public inspection.
(5) In the event no compensation has been paid or received, and no expenses
have been
paid or
incurred, an annual statement to that effect may be filed with the secretary of
state in lieu
of the
report form.
(b) During any special session of the general assembly, every person,
corporation, or
association
that engages any person to act as a lobbyist, and every lobbyist so engaged,
shall
register
within twenty-four (24) hours of the commencement of the session. The initial
financial
reports
shall be filed within twenty-four (24) hours after the date of the employment
for the
special
session, and updated reports shall be filed every fourteen (14) days
thereafter. The final
report
shall be filed no later than seven (7) days after the date of adjournment.
(c) Not later than January 15 of each year, every lobbyist and every
individual, firm,
business,
corporation, association, partnership, or other group which employed a lobbyist
or
engaged
any person to act as a lobbyist or who was required to register with the office
of
secretary
of state during the preceding year pursuant to section 22-10-6 shall file with
the
secretary
of state a complete and detailed report of all money or anything of value which
in the
aggregate
exceeds two hundred fifty dollars ($250) provided or promised to any major
state
decision-maker
within the preceding calendar year. "Money" and "anything of
value" in this
subsection
and in subsection (d) of this section shall mean any fee, salary, commission,
expense
allowance,
forbearance, forgiveness, royalty, rent, capital gain, gift, loan, reward,
favors or
services,
gratuities or special discounts, or any other form of recompense that
constitutes income
under
the Federal Internal Revenue Code.
(d) Not later than January 15 of each year, every individual, firm, business,
corporation,
association,
partnership or other group specified in subsection (c) of this section shall
provide an
exact
copy of the report required in subsection (c) of this section to the Rhode Island
ethics
commission
and to any major state decision-maker to whom it provided or promised money or
anything
of value which in the aggregate exceeds two hundred fifty dollars ($250) within
the
preceding
calendar year.
SECTION
2. Section 42-139-6 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-139 entitled
"Executive
Branch and Public Corporation Lobbying" is hereby amended to read as
follows:
42-139-6.
Financial reports. -- (a) Every person, corporation, or association
that engages
any
person to act as a lobbyist concerning executive or public corporation matters,
and the
lobbyist,
shall individually file with the secretary of state a complete and detailed
report of all
compensation
paid to the lobbyist for lobbying, and all campaign contributions in excess of
one
hundred
dollars ($100) or more to state and municipal elected officials and state
political action
committees.
The report shall include the total amount expended for lobbying purposes, and
an
itemization
of any expenditure, gift, or honorarium of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) or more
for
each
occurrence paid or incurred by the person, corporation, or association or
lobbyist for the
specific
purpose of promoting or opposing in any manner action by members of the
executive
branch
or of public corporations. These reports shall include the names of the persons
receiving
or in
whose behalf the expenditures have been made, and the reason, time, and place
of the
expenditures.
(b) The initial report shall be filed by the person, corporation, or
association having
engaged
any person to act as a lobbyist and by the lobbyist at the time of their
initial registration,
and
updated reports shall be filed with the secretary of state semi-annually. The
updated reports
shall be
filed no later than thirty (30) days after the end of each reporting period or
if earlier, after
the
termination of the lobbyist's engagement,
and shall include expenditures for the period from
January
1 through June 30, and July through December 31, respectively or, if
earlier, through the
date
of termination of the lobbyist's engagement.
(c) All reports shall be on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, and
the reports
shall be
open for public inspection.
(d) In the event no compensation has been paid or received, and no expenses
have been
paid or
incurred, an annual statement to that effect may be filed with the secretary of
state in lieu
of the
report form.
SECTION
3. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC02590
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