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California lobbying guidelines
| Lobbyist registration guidelines |
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| Related pages |
| Lobbying |
| Taxpayer-funded lobbying |
| Guidelines by state |
Lobbying is broadly defined as the attempt to persuade another person to accept one's position. This includes efforts to influence lawmakers by other legislators, constituents, or organized groups. Each state has different requirements for lobbyist registration. The person doing the lobbying is typically referred to as the lobbyist and the person or entity providing compensation the principal. Each state has a different entity responsible for maintaining its lobbying records, such as registrations and expenditures.
As of April 2021, the California Secretary of State maintained the state's lobbying records.
Who must register?
According to California Government Code section 86100, the following are required to register with the Secretary of State:[1]
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(1) Lobbying firms. (2) Lobbyist employers under subdivision (a) of Section 82039.5 who employ one or more in-house lobbyists. (3) Lobbying coalitions who employ at least one in-house lobbyist. (b) Each individual lobbyist shall submit a lobbyist certification under Section 86103 for filing with the Secretary of State as part of the registration of the lobbying firm in which the lobbyist is a partner, owner, officer, or employee, or as part of the registration of the lobbyist employer that employs the lobbyist. (c) Lobbyist employers under subdivision (b) of Section 82039.5 who contract only for a lobbying firm’s services, lobbying coalitions who contract for a lobbying firm’s services and do not employ an in-house lobbyist, and persons described in subdivision (b) of Section 86115, are not required to register with the Secretary of State, but shall maintain records and file quarterly reports under this chapter. (d) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), a registration statement shall be filed both by online or electronic means and physically, submitting the original statement and one copy, in paper format. (2) Upon certification by the Secretary of State of an online filing and disclosure system pursuant to paragraph (7) of subdivision (b) of Section 84602, a registration statement shall be filed by online or electronic means.[2] |
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State definition of lobbying
Section 82039 of California Government Code defines a lobbyist as:[3]
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(1) Any individual who receives two thousand dollars ($2,000) or more in economic consideration in a calendar month, other than reimbursement for reasonable travel expenses, or whose principal duties as an employee are, to communicate directly or through his or her agents with any elective state official, agency official, or legislative official for the purpose of influencing legislative or administrative action. (2) A placement agent, as defined in Section 82047.3. (b) An individual is not a lobbyist by reason of activities described in Section 86300. (c) For the purposes of subdivision (a), a proceeding before the Public Utilities Commission constitutes “administrative action” if it meets any of the definitions set forth in subdivision (b) or (c) of Section 82002. However, a communication made for the purpose of influencing this type of Public Utilities Commission proceeding is not within subdivision (a) if the communication is made at a public hearing, public workshop, or other public forum that is part of the proceeding, or if the communication is included in the official record of the proceeding.[2] |
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See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ California Legislative Information, "GOVERNMENT CODE - GOV," accessed April 8, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ California Legislative Information, "Government Code", accessed April 8, 2021
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