§1024. Waiting period before engaging in lobbying activities

1.  Actions precluded beginning with the 127th Legislature.  Beginning with the convening of the 127th Legislature, a person who has served as a Legislator may not engage in activities that would require registration as a lobbyist or lobbyist associate as defined by Title 3, section 312-A, subsections 10 and 10-A, respectively, until one year after that person's term as a Legislator ends. This subsection may not be construed to prohibit uncompensated lobbying by a former Legislator during the one-year period following the end of that Legislator's most recent term in office.

This subsection is repealed December 1, 2020.

[RR 2019, c. 1, Pt. A, §1 (COR).]

1-A.  Actions precluded beginning with the 130th Legislature.  Beginning with the convening of the 130th Legislature, a person who has served as a Legislator may not engage in compensated lobbying until one year after that person's term as a Legislator ends.

[PL 2019, c. 57, §2 (NEW).]

2.  Complaints and investigations.  A person may file a complaint with the commission specifying an alleged violation of this section. The commission staff shall notify the party against whom the complaint has been filed and may undertake the investigation of the alleged violation if directed by the commission. The commission may direct commission staff to undertake an investigation of an alleged violation of this section on its own motion.

[PL 2013, c. 129, §2 (NEW).]

3.  Penalty.  A person who intentionally violates this section is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $1,000, payable to the State and recoverable in a civil action.

[PL 2013, c. 129, §2 (NEW).]

4.  Definitions.  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.

A. "Compensated lobbying" means lobbying conducted by an individual who is specifically employed by another person other than the State or an agency of the State for that purpose or lobbying conducted by an individual as a regular employee of another person other than the State or an agency of the State. "Compensated lobbying" does not include activities for which the individual receives no compensation other than reimbursement for lobbying-related travel within the State and reimbursement for other out-of-pocket expenditures made by the individual for printing, postage and food and lodging connected with lobbying activities paid for by the individual. For the purposes of this paragraph, "reimbursement for other out-of-pocket expenditures" does not include reimbursement for the individual's time spent lobbying that would have been otherwise compensated by an employer or in the course of the individual's employment.   [PL 2019, c. 57, §3 (NEW).]

B. "Lobbying" has the same meaning as in Title 3, section 312‑A, subsection 9.   [PL 2019, c. 57, §3 (NEW).]

[PL 2019, c. 57, §3 (NEW).]

SECTION HISTORY

PL 2013, c. 129, §2 (NEW). PL 2019, c. 57, §§1-3 (AMD). RR 2019, c. 1, Pt. A, §1 (COR).