SF 2338

as introduced - 79th Legislature (1995 - 1996) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to lobbyists; modifying content of periodic 
  1.3             reports similar to federal requirements; amending 
  1.4             Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 10A.04, subdivision 4.
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 10A.04, 
  1.7   subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
  1.8      Subd. 4.  (a) The report shall include such information as 
  1.9   the board may require from the registration form and the 
  1.10  information required by this subdivision for the reporting 
  1.11  period.  The lobbyist shall file a separate report for each of 
  1.12  the lobbyist's principals. 
  1.13     (b) The report must contain the name of the lobbyist, the 
  1.14  name of the principal, and any changes or updates to the 
  1.15  information provided in the registration form.  The report must 
  1.16  contain, for each general issue area in which the lobbyist 
  1.17  lobbied on behalf of the principal during the reporting period: 
  1.18     (1) a list of the specific issues upon which the lobbyist 
  1.19  lobbied, including, to the maximum extent possible, a list of 
  1.20  bill numbers and references to specific administrative actions; 
  1.21     (2) a list of the houses of the legislature and 
  1.22  administrative agencies contacted by the lobbyist on behalf of 
  1.23  the principal; and 
  1.24     (3) a list of employees of the lobbyist who acted on behalf 
  1.25  of the principal. 
  2.1      (c) The report must contain a good faith estimate of the 
  2.2   total amount of all income from the principal, including any 
  2.3   payments to the lobbyist by any other person for lobbying 
  2.4   activities on behalf of the principal, during the reporting 
  2.5   period, other than income for matters that are unrelated to 
  2.6   lobbying activities.  In the case of a lobbyist not engaged by a 
  2.7   principal, the report must contain a good faith estimate of the 
  2.8   expenses the lobbyist incurred in connection with lobbying 
  2.9   activities during the reporting period.  Estimates of income or 
  2.10  expenses must be made as follows: 
  2.11     (1) if income or expenses were less than $1,000, the report 
  2.12  must state that income or expenses totaled less than $1,000; 
  2.13     (2) if income or expenses were $1,000 or more, the estimate 
  2.14  must be rounded to the nearest $1,000; and 
  2.15     (3) a lobbyist that reports lobbying expenditures under 
  2.16  section 6033(b)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 may 
  2.17  satisfy the requirement to report income or expenses by filing 
  2.18  with the board a copy of the form filed in accordance with 
  2.19  section 6033(b)(8). 
  2.20     (d) Each lobbyist shall report the lobbyist's total 
  2.21  disbursements on lobbying, separately listing lobbying to 
  2.22  influence legislative action, lobbying to influence 
  2.23  administrative action, and lobbying to influence the official 
  2.24  actions of a metropolitan governmental unit, and a breakdown of 
  2.25  disbursements for each of those kinds of lobbying into 
  2.26  categories specified by the board, including but not limited to 
  2.27  the cost of publication and distribution of each publication 
  2.28  used in lobbying; other printing; media, including the cost of 
  2.29  production; postage; travel; fees, including allowances; 
  2.30  entertainment; telephone and telegraph; and other expenses. 
  2.31     (c) (e) Each lobbyist shall report the amount and nature of 
  2.32  each honorarium, gift, loan, item or benefit, excluding 
  2.33  contributions to a candidate, equal in value to $5 or more, 
  2.34  given or paid to any public or local official by the lobbyist or 
  2.35  any employer or any employee of the lobbyist.  The list shall 
  2.36  include the name and address of each public or local official to 
  3.1   whom the honorarium, gift, loan, item or benefit was given or 
  3.2   paid and the date it was given or paid.  A lobbyist need report 
  3.3   only the aggregate amount and nature of food or beverages given 
  3.4   or made available to all members of the legislature or a house 
  3.5   of the legislature or to all members of a local legislative 
  3.6   body, along with the name of the legislative body and the date 
  3.7   it was given or made available. 
  3.8      (d) Each lobbyist shall report each original source of 
  3.9   funds in excess of $500 in any year used for the purpose of 
  3.10  lobbying to influence legislative action, each such source of 
  3.11  funds used to influence administrative action, and each such 
  3.12  source of funds used to influence the official action of 
  3.13  metropolitan governmental units.  The list shall include the 
  3.14  name, address and employer, or, if self-employed, the occupation 
  3.15  and principal place of business, of each payer of funds in 
  3.16  excess of $500. 
  3.17     Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.18     This act is effective for reports due July 15, 1996, and 
  3.19  thereafter.