SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2015 SESSION

15102670D
SENATE BILL NO. 1250
Offered January 14, 2015
Prefiled January 14, 2015
A BILL to amend and reenact § 2.2-426 of the Code of Virginia, relating to lobbyist disclosure; gifts; penalty.
----------
Patron-- Smith
----------
Referred to Committee on Rules
----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 2.2-426 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 2.2-426. Lobbyist reporting; penalty.

A. Each lobbyist shall file with the Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council a separate semiannual report of expenditures, including gifts, for each principal for whom he lobbies by December 15 for the preceding six-month period complete through the last day of October and June 15 for the preceding six-month period complete through the last day of April.

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 Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council, which shall be substantially as follows and shall be accompanied by instructions provided by the Council.


                     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.
  (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) COMMUNICATIONS                                       $ ______
       d) PERSONAL LIVING AND TRAVEL EXPENSES                  $ ______
       e) COMPENSATION OF LOBBYISTS                            $ ______
       f) HONORARIA                                            $ ______
       g) 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 6e.
  (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 6e____________
                               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 or Members of Their
  Immediate Families 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
  or Members of Their Immediate Families                       $ ______
  Lodging of Legislative and Executive Officials or
  Members of Their Immediate Families                          $ ______
  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,
 to an executive or legislative official with a value
  greater than $50, should of which the principal contributed all
  or part, shall be itemized below. Complete this form even if the
  principal's share of the gift was less than $50. (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
 
                                    or member of his
 
                                    immediate family        Cost of
  Date
         Description            who is a recipient      individual
  of gift:
     of gift:               of a gift:              gift:
  ___________
  _____________________  ______________________  $ ______
  ___________
  _____________________  ______________________  $ ______
  ___________
  _____________________  ______________________  $ ______
  ___________
  _____________________  ______________________  $ ______
  TOTAL COST TO PRINCIPAL
                                     $ ______
 

  Date of Gift: ________________   Total Cost of Gift: $ ___________
  Did principal's share account for the total value of the gift?
     Yes ___ No ___
  If No, list the principal's share of the cost of the total gift:
     $ _________
  Description of Gift: _____________________________________________
  Recipient's Last Name: __________________________ Suffix: ________
  Recipient's First Name: _________________ Middle Name: ___________
  Recipient's Title: _______________________________________________
 

                               SCHEDULE C
                             OTHER EXPENSES
  PLEASE NOTE: This section is provided for any lobbying-related
  expenses not covered in Part I, items 6a - 6f. 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 6g. (Please duplicate as needed.)
  DATE OF EXPENSE     DESCRIPTION OF EXPENSE                AMOUNT
  __________________  ____________________________________  $ ______
  __________________  ____________________________________  $ ______
  __________________  ____________________________________  $ ______
  __________________  ____________________________________  $ ______
  __________________  ____________________________________  $ ______
  __________________  ____________________________________  $ ______
  __________________  ____________________________________  $ ______
  __________________  ____________________________________  $ ______
  __________________  ____________________________________  $ ______
  TOTAL "OTHER" EXPENSES                                    $ ______
  PART IV: STATEMENTS
  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 Council 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 is 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 November 21 for the preceding six-month period complete through the last day of October and by May 21 for the preceding six-month period complete through the last day of April.

2. That the provisions of this act may result in a net increase in periods of imprisonment or commitment. Pursuant to § 30-19.1:4, the estimated amount of the necessary appropriation cannot be determined for periods of imprisonment in state adult correctional facilities; therefore, Chapter 2 of the Acts of Assembly of 2014, Special Session I, requires the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission to assign a minimum fiscal impact of $50,000. Pursuant to § 30-19.1:4, the estimated amount of the necessary appropriation is $0 for periods of commitment to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice.