SB 3 - This act creates the “Clean Lobbying Act.” Under this act, provisions of law relating to expenditures made by lobbyists are modified. The following items are exempt from the definition of expenditure: • Any item, service, or thing of value transferred to any person within the third degree of affinity of the transferor which is unrelated to any activity of the transferor as a lobbyist;
• Any plaque or award that signifies the honorary recognition of a service or other notable accomplishment and also has a fair market value of less than $50.
Under current law, lobbyists are permitted to make expenditures on behalf of any person. This act prohibits any lobbyist, lobbyist principal, or person acting on behalf of a lobbyist or lobbyist principal from making any expenditure for any public official or such official’s staff or employees, or spouse or dependent children. The act also repeals certain provisions requiring a lobbyist to report expenditures.
The definition of public official is modified to include any local government official elected in a county, city, town, or village with an annual operating budget over $10 million.
Under this act, lobbyists are prohibited from delivering a contribution to a candidate for elective office unless such contribution is made on the lobbyist’s own behalf.
This act is substantially similar to SB 2 (2017) and similar to HB 60 (2017).
SCOTT SVAGERA