SB 800 - State Representatives and Senators who contract with or solicit any other Representative or Senator for political fund raising, campaigning, or consulting shall be guilty of a Class D misdemeanor. Elected officials and elected official's staff are barred from lobbying for 2 years from leaving office or employment. An exception is made for those lobbying solely for a governmental entity within the state.
Members of the General Assembly are barred from accepting meals, food, beverages, and other gifts from lobbyists but they may reimburse the lobbyist within 30 days of receiving knowledge of the indiscretion.
Lobbyists shall file supplemental reports documenting the name and address of each of their clients and the monetary value of all payments paid to the lobbyist. Lobbyists shall supply copies of all reports required by the ethics commission to each new client. Lobbyists shall notify clients when they enter a contract to represent a client with materially adverse interests.
Persons shall not act as treasurer or deputy treasurer for more than one committee at a time. Those found by the Ethics Commission to be doing so shall vacate all positions or be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor for failing to do so.
Committees are barred from transferring funds to another committee. Those that do so are subject to a surcharge of $1,000 plus the amount of the transfer. Knowing and intentional transfers shall constitute a Class A misdemeanor and willful transfers undertaken with the intent to conceal their origin constitute a Class D felony. Continuing committees are allowed to transfer funds to a candidate committee.
The act imposes contribution limits for individuals and committees in support of candidates running for public office. Surcharges will be imposed upon committees that accept or give contributions exceeding the limits.
The limits are as follows for contributions made by or accepted from any person other than the candidate and all committees:
• $1,275 for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Auditor, or Attorney General.
• $650 for Senators.
• $325 for Representatives.
• $325 any other office, including judicial office if the population of the area is under 100,000.
• $650 any other office, including judicial office if the population of the area is between 100,000 and 250,000.
• $1,275 any other office, including judicial office if the population of the area is over 250,000.
Contributions received over allowable amounts shall be returned within 5 business days of the declaration of candidacy or position on a candidate or particular ballot measure.
This act is similar to HB 633 (2009), HB 687 (2009), SB 389 (2009), SB 270 (2009), SB 648 (2010), HB 1322 (2010), HB 1326 (2010), and HB 1337 (2010).
CHRIS HOGERTY