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2016 SESSION

16104044D
HOUSE BILL NO. 1361
Offered January 22, 2016
A BILL to amend and reenact § 2.2-426 of the Code of Virginia, relating to lobbyist reporting; disclosure not required of certain persons attending entertainment events.
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Patrons-- Gilbert and McClellan
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Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
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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 as follows:

§ 2.2-426. Lobbyist reporting; penalty.

A. Each lobbyist shall file with the 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. (Effective January 1, 2016, through July 1, 2016) The report shall be on a form provided by the Council, which shall be substantially similar to the following and shall be accompanied by instructions provided by the Council.

C. (Effective July 1, 2016) The report shall be on a form provided by the Council, which shall be substantially similar to the following and shall be accompanied by instructions provided by the Council. All reports shall be submitted electronically and in accordance with the standards approved by the Council pursuant to the provisions of § 30-356.


                    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 (including whether or not it meets the criteria
 of a widely attended 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. Do not
 list the name of any legislative or executive official, or member
 of his immediate family, if the legislative or executive official
 reimbursed the principal for, or otherwise paid for, his attendance,
 or the attendance of a member of his immediate family, at the event.)
 _____________________________________________________________________
 _____________________________________________________________________
 _____________________________________________________________________
 _____________________________________________________________________
 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, 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
                                  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 ...............................  $ __________
                              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 knowingly and intentionally makes a false statement of a material fact on the disclosure statement is guilty of a Class 5 felony.

E. The name of a legislative or executive official, or a member of his immediate family, attending a reportable entertainment event shall not be disclosed by the principal if that legislative or executive official reimburses the principal for, or otherwise pays for, his attendance, or the attendance of a member of his immediate family, at the entertainment event. Reimbursement shall be calculated using the average value for each person attending the event.

F. 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.