SB 239 - This act prohibits gifts over specified amounts from professional lobbyists or their principals to members of the General Assembly and requires continuing committees to file expenditure reports during the same periods before and after an election as other committees if the continuing committee makes an expenditure of $500 or more that is intended to effect an election or ballot measure.

LOBBYING REGULATION: A member of the General Assembly may accept meals, food, beverages or other gifts from a professional lobbyist or such lobbyist's principal so long as any such item is less than $50 and the total received from such lobbyist or principal is $100 or less for the entire year. Exceptions to these limits are: 1) items reported to the Secretary of the Senate because the whole Senate or a Senate Committee is invited; 2) items received during participation in seminars; 3) when items received are used for charitable purposes; and 4) the lobbyist providing the item is within the second degree of consanguinity of the lobbyist (uncle, aunt, niece, nephew). This provision is similar to Senate Rule 102 adopted last year.

ETHICS COMMISSION: The Ethics Commission shall have two additional duties: 1) instituting civil actions for injunctions and civil penalties; and 2) promulgating rules to establish a civil penalty for ethics violations.

The Commission shall refer violations to prosecutors unless it determines that a violation is unintentional. In such event, the Commission may enter into a conciliation agreement with the violator to pay a civil penalty.

CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE REPORTS: A continuing committee shall file a quarterly report (current law) and additional reports within the applicable periods before and after an election if such committee makes an expenditure of $500 or more that is intended to or may impact an election and is made on or after January 1 of the year in which the election occurs. If the expenditure is made within 12 days of the election, it must be reported within 48 hours thereafter.

This act is similar to SS/SB 709 from 1996.

JAMES KLAHR