Title 42
State Affairs and Government

Chapter 139.1
The Rhode Island Lobbying Reform Act

R.I. Gen. Laws § 42-139.1-6

§ 42-139.1-6. Lobbying reports — Lobbyists.

(a) Every registered lobbyist shall file with the secretary a report listing, for the indicated reporting period, the following information related to said lobbyist, together with all updates to said information upon each subsequent applicable filing:

(1) All compensation that the lobbyist received for lobbying;

(2) The name(s) of the person(s) who paid the compensation;

(3) All expenditures made for the purpose of lobbying, other than routine office expenses;

(4) All money and anything of value provided or promised to any legislative or executive branch official which in the aggregate exceeds two hundred fifty dollars ($250) in the current calendar year;

(5) All campaign contributions in excess of one hundred dollars ($100) made to any elected state official, candidate for state-level elected office, or political action committee;

(6) The legislation by bill number or by the subject matter(s) of the lobbying; and

(7) The executive branch officials or public bodies lobbied.

(b) All reports shall be submitted on a form prescribed by the secretary, and the reports shall be maintained as public documents.

(c) Reports shall be filed by the fifteenth day of each of February, March, April, May, June, and July for activity relating to the lobbyist’s activity during the calendar month immediately preceding each said filing, and upon any termination of the lobbyist’s engagement. Reports relating to the lobbyist’s activity in July, August, September, October, November, and December shall be filed on or prior to October fifteenth, and January fifteenth of each calendar year for activity relating to the lobbyist’s activity during the three (3) calendar months immediately preceding each said filing, and upon any termination of the lobbyist’s engagement.

(d) For purposes of this section, any in-house lobbyist shall disclose only that portion of the compensation which represents a reasonable estimate of the percentage of the time spent by the in-house lobbyist on lobbying activities.

(e) Governmental lobbyists shall be exempt from the reporting requirements of subsection (a).

(f) For purposes of this section, any contract lobbyist who is employed by a firm, corporation, partnership, or other entity shall disclose the total compensation paid to that entity, but shall not be required by this section to disclose the percentage of said compensation paid to individual partners, members, or employees.

History of Section.
P.L. 2016, ch. 62, § 3; P.L. 2016, ch. 69, § 3.