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2012 SESSION

12100808D
HOUSE BILL NO. 665
Offered January 11, 2012
Prefiled January 11, 2012
A BILL to amend and reenact § 2.2-426 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 24.2-947.10, relating to the more timely disclosure of gifts and contributions.
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Patrons-- Surovell and LeMunyon
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Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That § 2.2-426 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted and that the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 24.2-947.10 as follows:

§ 2.2-426. Lobbyist reporting; penalty.

A. Each lobbyist shall file a separate annual report of expenditures, including gifts, for each principal for whom he lobbies by July November 1 for the preceding 12-month period complete through April August 30.

B. Each principal who expends more than $500 to employ or compensate multiple lobbyists shall be responsible for filing a consolidated lobbyist report pursuant to this section in any case in which the lobbyists are each exempt under the provisions of subdivision 7 or 8 of § 2.2-420 from the reporting requirements of this section.

C. The report shall be on a form provided by the Secretary of the Commonwealth, which shall be substantially as follows and shall be accompanied by instructions provided by the Secretary.


                     LOBBYIST'S DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
 PART I:
 (1)  PRINCIPAL: .....................................................
      In Part I, item 2a, provide the name of the individual
      authorizing your employment as a lobbyist. The lobbyist filing
      this statement MAY NOT list his name in item 2a. THE INDIVIDUAL
      LISTED IN PART I, ITEM 2A, MUST SIGN THE PRINCIPAL'S STATEMENT.
 (2a) Name: ..........................................................
 (2b) Permanent Business Address: ....................................
 (2c) Business Telephone: ............................................
 (3)  Provide a list of executive and legislative actions (with as
      much specificity as possible) for which you lobbied and a
      description of activities conducted.
      ................................................................
      ................................................................
      ................................................................
 (4)  INCORPORATED FILINGS: If you are filing an incorporated
      disclosure statement, please complete the following:
      Individual filing financial information: .......................
      Individuals to be included in the filing: ......................
      ................................................................
 (5)  Please indicate which schedules will be attached to your
      disclosure statement:
      [ ] Schedule A: Entertainment Expenses
      [ ] Schedule B: Gifts
      [ ] Schedule C: Other Expenses
 (6)  EXPENDITURE TOTALS:
      a) ENTERTAINMENT .....................................  $ ......
      b) GIFTS .............................................  $ ......
      c) OFFICE EXPENSES ...................................  $ ......
      d) COMMUNICATIONS ....................................  $ ......
      e) PERSONAL LIVING AND TRAVEL EXPENSES ...............  $ ......
      f) COMPENSATION OF LOBBYISTS .........................  $ ......
      g) HONORARIA .........................................  $ ......
      h) REGISTRATION COSTS ................................  $ ......
      i) OTHER .............................................  $ ......
      TOTAL ................................................  $ ......
 PART II:
 (1a) NAME OF LOBBYIST: ..............................................
 (1b) Permanent Business Address: ....................................
 (1c) Business Telephone: ............................................
 (2)  As a lobbyist, you are (check one)
      [ ] EMPLOYED (on the payroll of the principal)
      [ ] RETAINED (not on the payroll of the principal, however
          compensated)
      [ ] NOT COMPENSATED (not compensated; expenses may be reimbursed)
 (3)  List all lobbyists other than yourself who registered to
      represent your principal.
      ................................................................
      ................................................................
      ................................................................
 (4)  If you selected "EMPLOYED" as your answer to Part II, item 2,
      provide your job title.
      ................................................................
 PLEASE NOTE: Some lobbyists are not individually compensated for
 lobbying activities. This may occur when several members of a firm
 represent a single principal. The principal, in turn, makes a single
 payment to the firm. If this describes your situation, do not answer
 Part II, items 5a and 5b. Instead, complete Part III, items 1 and 2.
 (5a) What was the DOLLAR AMOUNT OF YOUR COMPENSATION as a lobbyist?
      (If you have job responsibilities other than those involving
      lobbying, you may have to prorate to determine the part of your
      salary attributable to your lobbying activities.) Transfer your
      answer to this item to Part I, item 6f.
 (5b) Explain how you arrived at your answer to Part II, item 5a.
      ................................................................
      ................................................................
      ................................................................
 PART III:
 PLEASE NOTE: If you answered Part II, items 5a and 5b, you WILL NOT
 complete this section.
 (1) List all members of your firm, organization, association,
     corporation, or other entity who furnished lobbying services to
     your principal.
     .................................................................
     .................................................................
     .................................................................
 (2) Indicate the total amount paid to your firm, organization,
     association, corporation or other entity for services rendered.
     Transfer your answer to this item to Part I, item 6f.............
                               SCHEDULE A
                         ENTERTAINMENT EXPENSES
 PLEASE NOTE: Any single entertainment event included in the expense
 totals of the principal, with a value greater than $50, should be
 itemized below. Transfer any totals from this schedule to Part I,
 item 6a. (Please duplicate as needed.)
 Date and Location of Event:
 .....................................................................
 .....................................................................
 Description of Event:
 .....................................................................
 .....................................................................
 Total Number of Persons Attending:
 .....................................................................
 Names of Legislative and Executive Officials Attending: (List names
 only if the average value for each person attending the event was
 greater than $50.)
 .....................................................................
 .....................................................................
 .....................................................................
 .....................................................................
 Food ......................................................  $ ......
 Beverages .................................................  $ ......
 Transportation of Legislative and Executive Officials .....  $ ......
 Lodging of Legislative and Executive Officials ............  $ ......
 Performers, Speakers, Etc. ................................  $ ......
 Displays ..................................................  $ ......
 Rentals ...................................................  $ ......
 Service Personnel .........................................  $ ......
 Miscellaneous .............................................  $ ......
 TOTAL .....................................................  $ ......
                               SCHEDULE B
                                  GIFTS
 PLEASE NOTE: Any single gift reported in the expense totals of the
 principal, with a value greater than $50, should be itemized below.
 (Report meals, entertainment and travel under Schedule A.) Transfer
 any totals from this schedule to Part I, item 6b. (Please duplicate
 as needed.)
                                  Name of each 
                                  legislative or
                                  executive official      Cost of
 Date         Description         who is a recipient      individual
 of gift:     of gift:            of a gift:              gift:
 ...........  ..................  ......................  $ ..........
 ...........  ..................  ......................  $ ..........
 ...........  ..................  ......................  $ ..........
 ...........  ..................  ......................  $ ..........
 TOTAL COST TO PRINCIPAL ...............................  $ ..........
                               SCHEDULE C
                             OTHER EXPENSES
 PLEASE NOTE: This section is provided for any lobbying-related
 expenses not covered in Part I, items 6a - 6h. An example of an
 expenditure to be listed on schedule C would be the rental of a
 bill box during the General Assembly session. Transfer the total
 from this schedule to Part I, item 6i. (Please duplicate as needed.)
 DATE OF EXPENSE     DESCRIPTION OF EXPENSE            AMOUNT
 ..................  ................................  $ ..........
 ..................  ................................  $ ..........
 ..................  ................................  $ ..........
 ..................  ................................  $ ..........
 ..................  ................................  $ ..........
 ..................  ................................  $ ..........
 ..................  ................................  $ ..........
 ..................  ................................  $ ..........
 ..................  ................................  $ ..........
 TOTAL "OTHER" EXPENSES .............................  $ ..........
 PART IV: STATEMENTS
 Both the lobbyist and principal officer must sign the disclosure
 statement, attesting to its completeness and accuracy. The following
 items are mandatory and if they are not properly completed, the
 entire filing will be rejected and returned to the lobbyist:
 (1) All signatures on the statement must be ORIGINAL in the format
     specified in the instructions provided by the Secretary that
     accompany this form. No stamps, or other reproductions of the
     individual's signature will be accepted.
 (2) An individual MAY NOT sign the disclosure statement as lobbyist
     and principal officer.
                          STATEMENT OF LOBBYIST
 I, the undersigned registered lobbyist, do state that the information
 furnished on this disclosure statement and on all accompanying
 attachments required to be made thereto is, to the best of my
 knowledge and belief, complete and accurate.
                                             ........................
                                             Signature of lobbyist
 
                                             ........................
                                             Date 
                         STATEMENT OF PRINCIPAL
 I, the undersigned principal (or an authorized official thereof), do
 state that the information furnished on this disclosure statement
 and on all accompanying attachments required to be made thereto is,
 to the best of my knowledge and belief, complete and accurate.
                                             .......................
                                             Signature of principal
 
                                             .......................
                                             Date 

D. A person who signs the disclosure statement knowing it to contain a material misstatement of fact shall be guilty of a Class 5 felony.

E. Each lobbyist shall send to each legislative and executive official who is required to be identified by name on Schedule A or B of the Lobbyist's Disclosure Form a copy of Schedule A or B or a summary of the information pertaining to that official. Copies or summaries shall be provided to the official by December 15 for the preceding 12-month period complete through November 30.

§ 24.2-947.10. Special report required of certain large pre-session contributions.

A. Any single contribution of $500 or more for a General Assembly office knowingly received or reported by the candidate or his treasurer on and after January 1 and before the commencement of the regular session of the General Assembly in that year shall be reported in writing as provided in §§ 24.2-947.4 and 24.2-947.5 or electronically pursuant to § 24.2-946.1, and the report shall be received by the State Board by 5:00 p.m. on the day following receipt of the contribution, or for a contribution received on a Saturday by 5:00 p.m. on the following Monday.  However, any such contribution received within the 24 hours prior to the commencement of the session shall be reported and a report thereof received prior to, or within one hour after, the commencement of the session.

B.  Any contribution reported pursuant to this section shall also be reported on the report required by this article to be filed on January 15 of the same year.