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HB 155: LOBBYIST EMPLOYER REGISTRATION

An Act Relating To Lobbyist Regulation; Requiring Certain Reports To Be Made By Lobbyists' Employers; Changing Reporting Requirements; Extending The Retention Period For Reports; Requiring Reports To Be Posted Online; Changing Registration Fees.

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MILD HB 155
LOBBYIST EMPLOYER REGISTRATION

Legislative URL:
HB 155 on nmlegis.gov
Emergency Clause:
No
Germane:
N/A
Location:
Gov Desk
Action:
[3] HRPAC/HJC-HRPAC [11] DP/a-HJC [26] DP [29] PASSED/H (63-0) [39] SRC [41] DP/a - PASSED/S (32-4) [46] h/cncrd SGND BY GOV (Apr. 7) Ch. 56.
Issue(s):

Related Legislators

Bill Sponsor:

Related Documents

Downloads:
Introduced
HRPAC Committee Report
HJC Committee Report
SRC Committee Report
Final House Vote
Final Senate Vote
Fiscal Impact Report
Final Version
Summary

This bill amends the Lobbyist Regulation Act. It:

  • increases from $25 to $50 the annual filing fee a lobbyist must pay for each of the lobbyist’s employers when registering with the Secretary of State;
  • requires the Secretary of State to publish a lobbyist’s registration statement on the Secretary of State’s lobbying disclosure web site no more than five days after the registration is filed;
  • requires a lobbyist to disclose, for each of the lobbyist’s employers, the legislative or administrative issue for which the lobbyist is employed; and
  • requires the lobbyist to file, and the Secretary of State to publish, a report of expenditures by the employer or lobbyist during the covered reporting period, listing expenditures separately by each recipient, indicating the amount spent and a description of each expenditure;

 

Currently, if a lobbyist or the lobbyist’s employer delivers political contributions totaling more than $500 from other contributors to a candidate or anyone authorized to receive funds on the candidate’s behalf, the names, addresses and occupations of those other contributors and the amounts of their separate political contributions must be disclosed. This bill reduces the amount requiring disclosure from $500 to $100.

 

A new section provides that, no later than January 15 of each year, a lobbyist’s employer must file with the Secretary of State an expense report that includes sworn statements and sets forth:

  • estimated lobbying expenses through April 25 of the current year; and
  • (with exceptions) actual lobbying expenses from April 25 through December 31 of the prior year.

 

A possible benefit of this bill might be greater public awareness of lobbying activities, with increased disclosure and enhanced public access to information about lobbyists, their employers and their expenditures. Another potential benefit might be a chilling effect on bundled contributions by high powered lobbyists. A concern might be the requirement to list each issue for which a lobbyist is employed. Conservation lobbyists often work on many issues, most of which are not known until a bill is introduced or an amendment made that affects land, air or water. If a conservation lobbyist would have to list each issue with specificity, that might become a hindrance.

 

On 2/13/15 the Regulatory and Public Affairs Committee amended HB 155 by:

  • removing the section requiring the lobbyist’s employer to file estimated lobbying expenses; and
  • making other changes generally weakening the bill’s disclosure requirements.

On 3/18/15, the Senate Rules Committee amended the bill to remove the requirement that a lobbyist report the issues for which the lobbyist is employed. The amendment also restores the threshold for reporting pooled contributions to $500.