41-1232.02. Expenditure reporting; principals and lobbyists; gifts

A. Each principal shall report annually all single expenditures, whether or not the expenditures were made in the course of lobbying. These single expenditures shall be itemized separately, and each itemization shall include the date of the expenditure, the amount of the expenditure, the name of each state officer or employee receiving or benefitting from the expenditure, the category of the expenditure and the name of the lobbyist or other person who made the expenditure on behalf of the principal. In addition each principal shall report annually the aggregate of all expenditures of $20 or less received by or benefitting a state officer or employee, whether or not the expenditures were made in the course of lobbying. The report shall be filed by March 1 and shall list the annual expenditures made on behalf of the principal. If March 1 is a Saturday, Sunday or other legal holiday, the report shall be filed on the next business day.

B. Each lobbyist for compensation and designated lobbyist shall report quarterly all single expenditures incurred in the preceding calendar quarter by the lobbyist for compensation or designated lobbyist, whether or not the single expenditures were made in the course of lobbying. These single expenditures shall be itemized separately, and each itemization shall include the date of the expenditure, the amount of the expenditure, the name of the state officer or employee receiving or benefitting from the expenditure, the category of the expenditure and the principal on whose behalf the expenditure was made. If the expenditure was made by the lobbyist and was not made on behalf of a principal, it shall be itemized separately. The quarterly report shall be filed not later than the last day of the month following the end of the calendar quarter, unless the last day of the month is a Saturday, Sunday or other legal holiday. In that case, the report shall be filed on the next business day.

C. Each lobbyist for compensation and designated lobbyist shall also report quarterly the aggregate of all expenditures of $20 or less received by or benefitting a state officer or employee, whether or not the expenditures were made in the course of lobbying. The report shall list separately the aggregate of expenditures made on behalf of each principal and the aggregate not made on behalf of any principal. In the fourth calendar quarter, these expenditures shall also be listed by cumulative total for the calendar year. Each quarterly lobbyist report shall include all reportable expenditures made by any employee of the lobbyist for compensation or designated lobbyist, regardless of whether that employee is listed as a lobbyist on any registration filed by a principal engaging the lobbyist. The quarterly report shall be filed not later than the last day of the month following the end of the calendar quarter, unless the last day of the month is a Saturday, Sunday or other legal holiday. In that case, the report shall be filed the next business day.

D. The reports required by subsections A and B of this section shall identify each single expenditure according to the following categories:

1. Food or beverages.

2. Speaking engagement.

3. Travel and lodging.

4. Flowers.

5. Other expenditures.

E. Expenditures by principals and lobbyists such as those for the lobbyist's personal sustenance, office expenses, filing fees, legal fees, employees' compensation, lodging and travel are not required to be reported. In addition, expenditures by a principal or a lobbyist for family gifts, personal hospitality or those items excluded from the definition of gift pursuant to section 41-1231, paragraph 9, subdivision (a), (c), (d), (f), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k) or (l) are not required to be reported.

F. All expenditures incurred by a principal or lobbyist for special events for legislators, including parties, dinners, athletic events, entertainment and other functions, to which all members of the legislature, either house of the legislature or any committee of the legislature are invited shall be reported. Expenditures are not required to be allocated to individual legislators, but for each such event a description of the event and the date, location, name of the legislative body invited and total expenditures incurred shall be reported. Expenditures for special events held in conjunction with state, national or regional meetings of an organization or association concerned or dealing with legislative or other governmental activities to which all state officers or state employees in attendance at such event are invited shall be reported in the same manner.

G. All information required to be filed pursuant to this section with the secretary of state shall be filed in that office and preserved by the secretary of state for five years from the date of filing, after which time the information shall be destroyed. The information is a public record and open to public inspection.

H. If a principal, lobbyist for compensation or designated lobbyist makes no expenditures that it would otherwise be required to report during a specified reporting period, the principal, lobbyist for compensation or designated lobbyist may sign a form under penalty of perjury prescribed by the secretary of state indicating that there were no expenditures during the specific reporting period.

I. A person or organization shall not make a gift to or an expenditure on behalf of a state officer or employee through another person or organization for the purpose of disguising the identity of the person making the gift or expenditure.

J. A principal or lobbyist or any other person acting on behalf of a principal or lobbyist shall not give to any state officer or state employee and a state officer or state employee shall not accept from a principal or lobbyist either of the following:

1. Gifts with a total value of more than $10 during any calendar year.

2. Gifts that are designed to influence the state officer's or state employee's official conduct.