PRINTER'S NO. 1434
No. 1295 Session of 1993
INTRODUCED BY GERLACH, APRIL 21, 1993
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, APRIL 21, 1993
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of September 30, 1961 (P.L.1778, No.712),
2 entitled, as amended, "An act regulating the practice of
3 lobbying and providing penalties," further providing for the
4 filing of statement of expenses and obligations and for the
5 penalty relating to disqualification to act as lobbyist.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8 Section 1. Sections 7 and 7.2 of the act of September 30,
9 1961 (P.L.1778, No.712), known as the Lobbying Registration and
10 Regulation Act, amended or added October 7, 1976 (P.L.1051,
11 No.212), are amended to read:
12 Section 7. Filing of Statement of Expenses and Obligations
13 Required.--(a) Every lobbyist subject to the expenditures
14 provision of subparagraph (ii) of section 2, defining lobbyist,
15 for any month, shall on January 30 and July 30 for the periods
16 ending December 31 and June 30 respectively file with the Chief
17 Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the
18 Senate a sworn statement of the expenditures made and
19 obligations incurred by him or any agent in connection with or
1 relative to his activities as such lobbyist for the preceding
2 months of the period. Such statements should separately state
3 amounts spent for (i) meals, (ii) entertainment, (iii) the cost
4 of communication to the General Assembly or to the Governor or
5 his staff or to an agency, and (iv) other expenditures connected
6 with lobbying. In addition to stating the expenses incurred, the
7 sworn statement shall identify by name and position any elected
8 or appointed official or any other employe of the Commonwealth
9 of Pennsylvania who receives any pecuniary benefit in connection
10 with such lobbying in excess of [one hundred fifty dollars
11 ($150)] ten dollars ($10) in any period as a result of expenses
12 paid or obligations incurred by the lobbyist or his agent. The
13 statement shall separately set forth the monthly expenses
14 incurred in connection with lobbying on behalf of each person in
15 whose interest the lobbyist has engaged in lobbying during the
16 preceding period.
17 (b) Where lobbyist fails or refuses to comply with
18 subsection (a) of section 7, the person, partnership, committee,
19 association, corporation or other organization in whose interest
20 the lobbyist is employed, must report the amount advanced or
21 reimbursed the lobbyist for the reporting period.
22 (c) All information required to be reported or filed under
23 any provision of this act shall be rendered in such form as
24 shall be prescribed jointly by the Chief Clerk of the House of
25 Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate. These
26 statements shall be open to the public for inspection during
27 regular business hours, and copies shall be furnished to any
28 member of the public upon request at cost.
29 Section 7.2. Penalty.--Any natural person violating any of
30 the provisions of this act shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of
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1 the third degree and, upon conviction, shall be disqualified to
2 act as a lobbyist for a period of [five] ten years from the date
3 of conviction and may be sentenced to pay a fine not exceeding
4 two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) or to undergo
5 imprisonment not exceeding one year, or both. Any person, other
6 than a natural person, violating any of the provisions of this
7 act shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree and,
8 upon conviction, shall be sentenced to pay a fine not exceeding
9 two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500).
10 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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