Reporting By Lobbyists

TITLE 74 TRANSPARENT AND ETHICAL GOVERNMENT CHAPTER 7 LOBBYING DISCLOSURE 74-705. REPORTING BY LOBBYISTS. (1) Any lobbyist registered under section 74-703 , Idaho Code, shall file with the secretary of state a monthly report of his lobbying activities signed by the lobbyist. The reports shall be made in the form and manner prescribed by the secretary of state. Monthly reports shall be filed within fifteen (15) days of the first day of the month for the activities of the month just past. (2)  Once a lobbyist has filed a monthly report, each person identified as an employer, client, or designated contact on the report will be electronically notified that the report has been filed by the lobbyist, using the contact information provided for the employer, client, or designated contact upon registration. (3)  Each monthly periodic report shall contain: (a)  The total of all expenditures made or incurred on behalf of such lobbyist by the lobbyist’s employers or clients, not including payments made directly to the lobbyist, during the period covered by the report. The totals shall be segregated according to financial category, including but not limited to entertainment, food and refreshment, honoraria, travel, lodging, advertising, and other like expenditures. Reimbursed personal living and travel expenses of a lobbyist made or incurred directly or indirectly for any lobbying purpose need not be reported; (b)  For any expenditure made on any single occasion that exceeds one hundred thirty-five dollars ($135) per person that is made for the purpose of lobbying for the benefit of or for any purposes related to the official capacity of any legislator or executive official, the date, name of payee, purpose, the name of any legislator or executive official to whom the expenditure relates, and the amount of such expenditure. Expenditures made for the purpose of lobbying for the benefit of or for any purposes related to members of the household of a legislator or executive official shall also be itemized if such expenditure exceeds the amount listed in this subsection. The itemization threshold in this paragraph shall be adjusted biennially by directive of the secretary of state, using consumer price index data compiled by the United States department of labor; (c)  In the case of a lobbyist employed by or contracted with more than one (1) employer or client, the proportionate amount of such expenditures in each category made or incurred on behalf of each of his employers or clients; and (d)  The subject matter of proposed legislation and the number of each senate or house bill, resolution, memorial, or other legislative activity or any rule, ratemaking decision, procurement, contract, bid or bid process, financial services agreement or bond in which the lobbyist has been engaged in supporting or opposing during the reporting period; provided that in the case of appropriations bills, the lobbyist shall enumerate the specific section or sections that he supported or opposed. (4)  In addition to any other reports required under this section, lobbyists shall report to the secretary of state any expenditure of one hundred dollars ($100) or more that is related to any indirect lobbying efforts within forty-eight (48) hours after such expenditure is made. Such report shall include the name of the lobbyist making the expenditure, the name and address of the client or employer on whose behalf the expenditure was made, the financial category of the expenditure, the date of the expenditure, and all applicable information required pursuant to subsection (3)(d) of this section. However, expenditures for food, refreshment, and entertainment are exempt from the requirements of this subsection and shall be reported as a part of the lobbyist’s monthly report. Any report filed under this subsection shall be in addition to the reporting of these expenditures in the lobbyist’s regular reports. For the purpose of determining when any expenditure report should be filed under this chapter, an expenditure is made on the day that the public communication paid by the expenditure is made or on the date payment is made, whichever is earlier. (5)  Reports required to be filed under the provisions of this section shall be filed online with the secretary of state, except as provided in section 74-710 , Idaho Code, by no later than midnight on the date the filing is due.