SB3647 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB097 17381 JDS 62583 b

97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
SB3647

Introduced 2/10/2012, by Sen. Darin M. LaHood

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

25 ILCS 170/6

from Ch. 63, par. 176

Amends the Lobbyist Registration Act. Provides that a person required to register under the Act must include in his or her report a description of any business or familial relationship, or both, that the registrant has with a State official. Defines "familial relationship".

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning State government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Lobbyist Registration Act is amended by changing Section 6 as follows:

(25 ILCS 170/6) (from Ch. 63, par. 176)

Sec. 6. Reports.

(a) Lobbyist reports. Except as otherwise provided in this Section, every lobbyist registered under this Act who is solely employed by a lobbying entity shall file an affirmation, verified under oath pursuant to Section 1-109 of the Code of Civil Procedure, with the Secretary of State attesting to the accuracy of any reports filed pursuant to subsection (b) as those reports pertain to work performed by the lobbyist. Any lobbyist registered under this Act who is not solely employed by a lobbying entity shall personally file reports required of lobbying entities pursuant to subsection (b). A lobbyist may, if authorized so to do by a lobbying entity by whom he or she is employed or retained, file lobbying entity reports pursuant to subsection (b) provided that the lobbying entity may delegate the filing of the lobbying entity report to only one lobbyist in any reporting period.

(b) Lobbying entity reports. Every lobbying entity registered under this Act shall report expenditures related to lobbying. The report shall itemize each individual expenditure or transaction and shall include the name of the official on whose behalf the expenditure was made, the name of the client if the expenditure was made on behalf of a client, the total amount of the expenditure, a description of the expenditure, the vendor or purveyor to whom the expenditure was made (including the address or location of the expenditure), the date on which the expenditure occurred and the subject matter of the lobbying activity, if any. Each expenditure required to be reported shall include all expenses made for or on behalf of an official or his or her immediate family member living with the official.

(b-1) The report shall include any change or addition to the client list information, required in Section 5 for registration, since the last report, including the names and addresses of all clients who retained the lobbying entity together with an itemized description for each client of the following: (1) lobbying regarding executive action, including the name of any executive agency lobbied and the subject matter; (2) lobbying regarding legislative action, including the General Assembly and any other agencies lobbied and the subject matter; and (3) lobbying regarding administrative action, including the agency lobbied and the subject matter. Registrants who made no reportable expenditures during a reporting period shall file a report stating that no expenditures were incurred.

(b-2) Expenditures attributable to lobbying officials shall be listed and reported according to the following categories:

(1) travel and lodging on behalf of others, including, but not limited to, all travel and living accommodations made for or on behalf of State officials during sessions of the General Assembly.

(2) meals, beverages and other entertainment.

(3) gifts (indicating which, if any, are on the basis of personal friendship).

(4) honoraria.

(5) any other thing or service of value not listed under categories (1) through (4), setting forth a description of the expenditure. The category travel and lodging includes, but is not limited to, all travel and living accommodations made for or on behalf of State officials in the State capital during sessions of the General Assembly.

(b-3) Expenditures incurred for hosting receptions, benefits and other large gatherings held for purposes of goodwill or otherwise to influence executive, legislative or administrative action to which there are 25 or more State officials invited shall be reported listing only the total amount of the expenditure, the date of the event, and the estimated number of officials in attendance.

(b-5) The report must include a description of any business or familial relationship, or both, that a registrant has with an official. For the purposes of this subsection, "familial relationship" includes those people related to the registrant as father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, great aunt, great uncle, first cousin, nephew, niece, husband, wife, fiance, fiancee, grandfather, grandmother, grandson, granddaughter, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother, stepsister, half brother, half sister, and including the father, mother, grandfather, or grandmother of the registrant's fiance or fiancee.

(b-7) Matters excluded from reports. The following items need not be included in the report:

(1) Reasonable and bona fide expenditures made by the registrant who is a member of a legislative or State study commission or committee while attending and participating in meetings and hearings of such commission or committee.

(2) Reasonable and bona fide expenditures made by the registrant for personal sustenance, lodging, travel, office expenses and clerical or support staff.

(3) Salaries, fees, and other compensation paid to the registrant for the purposes of lobbying.

(4) Any contributions required to be reported under Article 9 of the Election Code.

(5) Expenditures made by a registrant on behalf of an official that are returned or reimbursed prior to the deadline for submission of the report.

(c) A registrant who terminates employment or duties which required him or her to register under this Act shall give the Secretary of State, within 30 days after the date of such termination, written notice of such termination and shall include therewith a report of the expenditures described herein, covering the period of time since the filing of his or her last report to the date of termination of employment. Such notice and report shall be final and relieve such registrant of further reporting under this Act, unless and until he or she later takes employment or assumes duties requiring him or her to again register under this Act.

(d) Failure to file any such report within the time designated or the reporting of incomplete information shall constitute a violation of this Act.

A registrant shall preserve for a period of 2 years all receipts and records used in preparing reports under this Act.

(e) Within 30 days after a filing deadline or as provided by rule, the lobbyist shall notify each official on whose behalf an expenditure has been reported. Notification shall include the name of the registrant, the total amount of the expenditure, a description of the expenditure, the date on which the expenditure occurred, and the subject matter of the lobbying activity.

(f) A report for the period beginning January 1, 2010 and ending on June 30, 2010 shall be filed no later than July 15, 2010, and a report for the period beginning July 1, 2010 and ending on December 31, 2010 shall be filed no later than January 15, 2011. Beginning January 1, 2011, reports shall be filed semi-monthly as follows: (i) for the period beginning the first day of the month through the 15th day of the month, the report shall be filed no later than the 20th day of the month and (ii) for the period beginning on the 16th day of the month through the last day of the month, the report shall be filed no later than the 5th day of the following month. A report filed under this Act is due in the Office of the Secretary of State no later than the close of business on the date on which it is required to be filed.

(g) All reports filed under this Act shall be filed in a format or on forms prescribed by the Secretary of State.

(Source: P.A. 96-555, eff. 1-1-10; 96-1358, eff. 7-28-10.)