An Act To Exempt Volunteer Lobbyists from State Disclosure Requirements
Sec. 1. 3 MRSA §312-A, sub-§10, as repealed and replaced by PL 1993, c. 691, §5, is amended to read:
Sec. 2. 3 MRSA §317, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2007, c. 630, §15, is further amended to read:
The information in the reports required by subsection 1 must be signed approved by the lobbyist or by a person designated by the lobbyist in section 316, subsection 1. The information in the reports required by this subsection must be signed approved by both the lobbyist or the designated person and the employer.
If the date any report required by this section is due falls on a day other than a regular business day, the report is due on the first regular business day next following the due date.
In addition to the amounts identified in subsection 1 as compensation received or expenditure made for the primary purpose of lobbying, this annual report must include the total amount of compensation received by the lobbyist or the lobbying firm, or expended by the employer, except compensation received or expended for purposes not related to lobbying.
SUMMARY
The bill exempts from the definition of "lobbyist" individuals who received no compensation for lobbying other than reimbursement for travel within this State. Organizations providing such reimbursement would not need to register these individuals as lobbyists with the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices. The bill also eliminates the requirement that annual reports filed by lobbyists be signed by their clients, since those reports are primarily filed electronically on the commission's publicly accessible website.