LRB-3802/4
JTK:kaf:lp
1997 - 1998 LEGISLATURE
February 24, 1998 - Introduced by Representative Black. Referred to Committee
on Elections and Constitutional Law.
AB820,1,3
1An Act to amend 13.621 (1) (a) and 13.68 (1) (a) (intro.) and 5. of the statutes;
2relating to: reporting requirements for certain paid advertising under the
3lobbying regulation law.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, any person who employs another person for the purpose of
attempting to influence the state lawmaking process or the state administrative
rule-making process by oral or written communication with an elective state official,
state agency official or legislative employe is required to register as a principal with
the state ethics board and to file semiannual reports of its activities, unless the
person is exempt from registration or reporting under one of several general
exemptions. One exemption makes registration and reporting requirements
inapplicable to communications through communications media to audiences made
up principally of persons other than legislators or state agency officials. However,
under another provision of the law, if a principal makes expenditures or incurs
obligations for the purpose of attempting to influence lawmaking or administrative
rule making by oral or written communication with an elective state official, state
agency official or legislative employe and the expenditures or obligations also involve
paid advertising or other activities conducted for the purpose of urging members of
the general public to attempt to influence lawmaking or administrative rule making,
a principal must report the expenditures and obligations if the aggregate total
amount of those expenditures and obligations exceeds $500 during a 6-month
reporting period.
This bill requires a principal who is subject to registration and reporting
requirements to report any expenditures or obligations for paid advertising to
influence or to urge members of the general public to attempt to influence lawmaking
or administrative rule making, if the aggregate total amount of those expenditures
and obligations exceeds $500 during a 6-month reporting period. The bill also
provides that the general reporting exemption does not negate this requirement.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB820, s. 1
1Section
1. 13.621 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB820,2,42
13.621
(1) (a)
Lobbying Except as provided in s. 13.68 (1) (a) 5., lobbying 3through communications media or by public addresses to audiences made up
4principally of persons other than legislators or agency officials.
AB820, s. 2
5Section
2. 13.68 (1) (a) (intro.) and 5. of the statutes are amended to read:
AB820,2,116
13.68
(1) (a) (intro.) The aggregate total amount of lobbying expenditures made
7and obligations incurred for lobbying activities
and of expenditures made and
8obligations incurred under subd. 5 by the principal and all lobbyists for the principal,
9excluding lobbying expenditures and obligations specified in pars. (b), (d) and (e).
10With respect to expenditures and obligations included in the amount reported under
11this paragraph:
AB820,2,1912
5.
Lobbying expenditures Expenditures made and obligations incurred
to
13make expenditures for paid advertising
and any
intended to influence legislative or
14administrative action or to influence members of the general public to attempt to
15influence legislative or administrative action or for other activities
that are 16conducted for the purpose of urging members of the general public to attempt to
17influence legislative or administrative action shall be included in the aggregate total,
18if the total amount of all such
lobbying expenditures made and obligations incurred
19exceeds $500 during the reporting period.
AB820,3,2
1(1) This act first applies with respect to reports under section 13.68 of the
2statutes due to be filed on July 31, 1999.
