There Is a Newer Version of the Illinois Compiled Statutes
2005 Illinois Code - Chapter 25 Legislature 25 ILCS 170/ Lobbyist Registration Act.
(25 ILCS 170/1) (from Ch. 63, par. 171)
Sec. 1.
Short
title.
This Act shall be known as the Lobbyist Registration Act.
(Source: P. A. 76‑1848.)
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(25 ILCS 170/2) (from Ch. 63, par. 172)
Sec. 2.
Definitions.
As used in this Act, unless the context otherwise
requires:
(a) "Person" means any individual, firm, partnership, committee,
association, corporation, or any other organization or group of persons.
(b) "Expenditure" means a payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit,
or gift of money or anything of value, and includes a contract, promise, or
agreement, whether or not legally enforceable, to make an expenditure, for
the ultimate purpose of influencing executive, legislative, or administrative
action, other than compensation as defined in subsection (d).
(c) "Official" means:
(1) the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of | ||
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(2) Chiefs of Staff for officials described in item | ||
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(3) Cabinet members of any elected constitutional | ||
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(4) Members of the General Assembly.
(d) "Compensation" means any money, thing of value or financial benefits
received or to be received in return for services rendered or to be
rendered, for lobbying as defined in subsection (e).
Monies paid to members of the General Assembly by the State as
remuneration for performance of their Constitutional and statutory duties
as members of the General Assembly shall not constitute compensation as
defined by this Act.
(e) "Lobbying" means any communication with an official of the
executive or legislative branch of State government as defined in subsection
(c) for the ultimate purpose of influencing executive, legislative, or
administrative action.
(f) "Influencing" means any communication, action, reportable
expenditure as prescribed in Section 6 or other means used to promote,
support, affect, modify, oppose or delay any executive, legislative or
administrative action or to promote goodwill with officials as defined in
subsection (c).
(g) "Executive action" means the proposal, drafting, development,
consideration, amendment, adoption, approval, promulgation, issuance,
modification, rejection or postponement by a State entity of a rule,
regulation, order, decision, determination, contractual arrangement, purchasing
agreement or other quasi‑legislative or quasi‑judicial action or proceeding.
(h) "Legislative action" means the development, drafting, introduction,
consideration, modification, adoption, rejection, review, enactment, or passage
or defeat of any bill, amendment, resolution, report, nomination,
administrative rule or other matter by either house of the General Assembly or
a committee thereof, or by a legislator. Legislative action also means the
action of the Governor in approving or vetoing any bill or portion thereof, and
the action of the Governor or any agency in the development of a proposal for
introduction in the legislature.
(i) "Administrative action" means the execution or rejection of any rule,
regulation, legislative rule, standard, fee, rate, contractual arrangement,
purchasing agreement or other delegated legislative or quasi‑legislative action
to be taken or withheld by any executive agency, department, board or
commission of the State.
(j) "Lobbyist" means any person who undertakes to lobby State government
as provided in subsection (e).
(Source: P.A. 88‑187.)
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(25 ILCS 170/3) (from Ch. 63, par. 173)
Sec. 3.
Persons required to register.
(a) Except as provided in Sections 4 and 9, the following persons shall
register with the Secretary of State as provided herein:
(1) Any person who, for compensation or otherwise, | ||
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(2) Any person who employs another person for the | ||
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(b) It is a violation of this Act to engage in lobbying or to employ any
person for the purpose of lobbying who is not registered with the Office of the
Secretary of State, except upon condition that the person register and the
person does in fact register within 2 business days after being employed or retained for lobbying services.
(Source: P.A. 93‑615, eff. 11‑19‑03.)
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(25 ILCS 170/3.1)
Sec. 3.1. Prohibition on serving on boards and commissions.
Notwithstanding any other law of this State, on and after February 1, 2004,
but not before that date, a person required to be registered
under this Act, his or her spouse, and his or her immediate family members
living with that person may not
serve on a board, commission, authority, or task force authorized or created
by State law or by executive order of the Governor; except that this
restriction does not apply to any of the
following:
(1) a registered lobbyist, his or her spouse, or any | ||
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(2) a registered lobbyist, his or her spouse, or any | ||
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(Source: P.A. 93‑615, eff. 11‑19‑03; 93‑617, eff. 12‑9‑03.)
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(25 ILCS 170/4) (from Ch. 63, par. 174)
Sec. 4.
Persons not required to register.
This Act is not intended and shall
not be construed to apply to the following:
(a) Persons who, for the purpose of influencing executive, legislative or
administrative action and who do not make expenditures that are reportable
pursuant to Section 6, appear without compensation or promise thereof only
as witnesses before committees of the House and Senate for the purpose of
explaining or arguing for or against the passage of or action upon any
legislation then pending before such committees, or who seek without
compensation or promise thereof the approval or veto of any legislation by
the Governor.
(b) Persons who own, publish, or are employed by a newspaper or other
regularly published periodical, or who own or are employed by a radio
station, television station, or other bona fide news medium which in the
ordinary course of business disseminates news, editorial or other comment,
or paid advertisements which directly urge the passage or defeat of
legislation. This exemption shall not be applicable to such an individual
insofar as he receives additional compensation or expenses from some source
other than the bona fide news medium for the purpose of influencing
executive, legislative or administrative action. This exemption
does not apply to newspapers and periodicals owned by or published by trade
associations and profit corporations engaged primarily in endeavors other
than dissemination of news.
(c) Persons performing professional services in drafting bills or in
advising and rendering opinions to clients as to the construction and
effect of proposed or pending legislation where such professional services
are not otherwise, directly or indirectly, connected with executive,
legislative or administrative action.
(d) Persons who are employees of departments, divisions, or agencies of
State government, and who appear before committees of the House and Senate
for the purpose of explaining how the passage of or action upon any
legislation then pending before such committees will affect said
departments, divisions or agencies of State government.
(e) Employees of the General Assembly legislators, legislative agencies
and legislative commissions.
(f) Persons who possess technical skills and knowledge relevant to certain
areas of executive, legislative or administrative actions, whose skills and
knowledge would be helpful to officials when considering such actions, whose
activities are limited to making occasional appearances for or communicating on
behalf of a registrant and who do not make expenditures that are reportable
pursuant to Section 6 even though receiving expense reimbursement for such
occasional appearances.
(g) Any full time employee of a bona‑fide church or religious
organization who represents that organization solely for the purpose of
protecting the right of the members thereof to practice the religious
doctrines of such church or religious organization.
(h) Persons who receive no compensation other than reimbursement for
expenses of up to $500 per year while engaged in lobbying State government,
unless those persons make expenditures that are reportable under Section 6.
(i) Any attorney in the course of representing a client in any
administrative or judicial proceeding, or any witness providing testimony in
any administrative or judicial proceeding, in which ex parte communications are
not allowed and who does not make expenditures that are reportable pursuant
to Section 6.
(j) Persons who, in the scope of their employment as a vendor, offer or
solicit an official for the purchase of any goods or services where (1) said
solicitation is limited to either an oral inquiry or written advertisements and
informative literature; or (2) said goods and services are subject to
competitive bidding requirements of the Illinois Purchasing Act; or (3) said
goods and services are for sale at a cost not to exceed $5,000; and (4) such
persons do not make expenditures that are reportable under Section 6.
(Source: P.A. 88‑187.)
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(25 ILCS 170/5)
Sec. 5. Lobbyist registration and disclosure. Every person required to
register under Section 3 shall
before any service
is performed which requires the person to register, but in any event not
later than 2 business days after being employed or retained, and on or before
each
January 31 and July 31 thereafter, file in the Office of the
Secretary of State a written statement containing the
following
information
with respect to each person or entity
employing or retaining the person required to register:
(a) The registrant's name, permanent address, e‑mail | ||
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(a‑5) If the registrant is an organization or | ||
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(b) The name and address of the person or persons | ||
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(c) A brief description of the executive, | ||
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(c‑5) Each executive and legislative branch agency | ||
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(c‑6) The nature of the client's business, by | ||
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The registrant must file an amendment to the statement within 14 calendar
days
to report any substantial change or addition to the information previously
filed, except that a registrant must file an amendment to the statement to
disclose a new agreement to retain the registrant for lobbying services
before any service is performed which requires the person to register, but in
any event not later than 2 business days after entering into the retainer
agreement.
Not later than 12 months after the effective date of this amendatory
Act of the 93rd General Assembly, or as soon thereafter as the Secretary of
State has provided adequate software to the persons required to file, all
statements and amendments to statements required to be filed shall be filed
electronically. The Secretary of State shall promptly make all filed
statements and amendments to statements publicly available by means of a
searchable database that is accessible through the World Wide Web. The
Secretary of State shall provide all software necessary to comply with this
provision to all persons required to file. The Secretary of State shall
implement a plan to provide computer access and assistance to persons
required to file electronically.
Persons required to register under this Act prior to July 1, 2003,
shall
remit a single, annual and nonrefundable $50 registration fee.
All fees collected for registrations prior to July 1, 2003, shall be deposited
into the Lobbyist Registration Administration Fund for administration and
enforcement of this Act. Beginning July 1, 2003, all persons other than
entities qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
required to register under this Act shall remit a single, annual, and
nonrefundable $350 registration fee. Entities required to register under this
Act
which are qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code shall
remit a single, annual,
and nonrefundable $150 registration fee. Each individual required to register
under this Act shall submit, on an annual basis, a picture of the registrant. A registrant may, in lieu of submitting a
picture on an annual basis, authorize the Secretary of State to use any photo
identification available in any database maintained by the Secretary of State
for other purposes. Of each registration fee collected for registrations on
or after July 1, 2003, $50 shall be deposited into the Lobbyist
Registration Administration Fund for administration and enforcement
of this
Act and is intended to be used to implement and maintain
electronic
filing of
reports under this Act, the next
$100 shall be deposited into the Lobbyist
Registration Administration Fund for administration and enforcement of this
Act, and any balance shall be deposited into the General Revenue Fund.
(Source: P.A. 93‑32, eff. 7‑1‑03; 93‑615, eff. 11‑19‑03; 93‑617, eff. 12‑9‑03.)
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(25 ILCS 170/6) (from Ch. 63, par. 176)
Sec. 6. Reports.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, every person required to
register as prescribed in Section 3 shall report, verified under
oath pursuant to Section 1‑109 of the Code of Civil Procedure, to the
Secretary of
State all expenditures for lobbying made or incurred by the lobbyist on his
behalf or the behalf of his employer. In the case where an individual is
solely employed by another person to perform job related functions any part of
which includes lobbying, the employer shall be responsible for reporting all
lobbying expenditures incurred on the employer's behalf as shall be identified
by the lobbyist to the employer preceding such report. Persons who contract
with another person to perform lobbying activities shall be responsible for
reporting all lobbying expenditures incurred on the employer's behalf. Any
additional lobbying expenses incurred by the employer which are separate and
apart from those incurred by the contractual employee shall be reported by the
employer.
(b) The report shall itemize each individual expenditure or transaction
over
$100 and shall include the name of the official on whose behalf the
expenditure
was made, the name of the client on whose behalf the expenditure was made, the
total amount of the expenditure, the date on which the expenditure occurred and
the subject matter of the lobbying activity, if any.
Expenditures attributable to lobbying officials shall be listed and reported
according to the following categories:
(1) travel and lodging on behalf of others.
(2) meals, beverages and other entertainment.
(3) gifts.
(4) honoraria.
Individual expenditures required to be reported as described herein which
are
equal to or less than $100 in value need not be itemized but are required to be
categorized and reported by officials in an aggregate total in a manner
prescribed by rule of the Secretary of State.
Expenditures incurred for hosting receptions, benefits and other large
gatherings held for purposes of goodwill or otherwise to influence executive,
legislative or administrative action to which there are 25 or more State
officials invited shall be reported listing only the total amount of
the
expenditure, the date of the event, and the estimated number of officials in
attendance.
Each individual expenditure required to be reported shall include all
expenses made for or on behalf of State officials and members of the immediate
family of those persons.
The category travel and lodging includes, but is not limited to, all travel
and living accommodations made for or on behalf of State officials in the
capital during sessions of the General Assembly.
Reasonable and bona fide expenditures made by the registrant
who is a member of a legislative or State study commission or committee while
attending and participating in meetings and hearings of such commission or
committee need not be reported.
Reasonable and bona fide expenditures made by the registrant for personal
sustenance, lodging, travel, office expenses and clerical or support staff
need not be reported.
Salaries, fees, and other compensation paid to the registrant
for the
purposes of lobbying
need not be
reported.
Any contributions required to be reported under Article 9 of the Election
Code need not be reported.
The report shall include: (1) the name of each State government
entity lobbied; (2) whether the lobbying involved executive, legislative, or
administrative action, or a combination; (3) the names of the persons who
performed the lobbyist services; and (4) a brief description of the
legislative, executive, or administrative action involved.
Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, gifts and honoraria
returned or reimbursed to the registrant within 30 days of the date of
receipt shall not be reported.
A gift or honorarium returned or reimbursed to the registrant within 10
days after the official receives a copy of a report pursuant to Section 6.5
shall not be included in the final report unless the registrant informed the
official, contemporaneously with the receipt of the gift or honorarium, that
the gift or honorarium is a reportable expenditure pursuant to this Act.
(c) Reports under this Section shall be filed by July 31, for expenditures
from the previous January 1 through the later of June 30 or the final day of
the regular General Assembly session, and by January 31, for expenditures from
the entire previous calendar year.
Registrants who made no reportable expenditures during a reporting period
shall file a report stating that no expenditures were incurred. Such reports
shall be filed in accordance with the deadlines as prescribed in this
subsection.
A registrant who terminates employment or duties which required him to
register under this Act shall give the Secretary of State, within 30 days after
the date of such termination, written notice of such termination and shall
include therewith a report of the expenditures described herein, covering the
period of time since the filing of his last report to the date of termination
of employment. Such notice and report shall be final and relieve such
registrant of further reporting under this Act, unless and until he later takes
employment or assumes duties requiring him to again register under this Act.
(d) Failure to file any such report within the time designated or the
reporting of incomplete information shall constitute a violation of this Act.
A registrant shall preserve for a period of 2 years all receipts and records
used in preparing reports under this Act.
(e) Within 30 days after a filing deadline, the lobbyist shall notify each
official on whose behalf an expenditure has been reported. Notification shall
include the name of the registrant, the total amount of the expenditure, the
date on which the expenditure occurred, and the subject matter of the lobbying
activity.
(Source: P.A. 93‑244, eff. 1‑1‑04; 93‑615, eff. 11‑19‑03.)
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(25 ILCS 170/6.5)
Sec. 6.5. Response to report by official.
(a) Every person required to register as prescribed in Section 3 and
required to file a report with the Secretary of State as prescribed in Section
6 shall, at least 25 days before filing the report,
provide a
copy of the report to each official listed in the report by first class mail or
hand delivery. An official may, within 10 days after receiving the copy of the
report, provide written objections to the report by first class mail or hand
delivery to the person required to file the report. If those written
objections conflict with the final report that is filed, the written objections
shall be filed along with the report.
(b) Failure to provide a copy of the report to an official listed in the
report within the time designated in this Section is a violation of this
Act.
(Source: P.A. 93‑244, eff. 1‑1‑04; 93‑615, eff. 11‑19‑03.)
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(25 ILCS 170/7) (from Ch. 63, par. 177)
Sec. 7. Duties of the Secretary of State.
It shall be the duty of the Secretary of State to provide appropriate
forms for the registration and reporting of information required by this
Act and to keep such registrations and reports on file in his office for 3
years from the date of filing. He shall also provide and maintain a
register with appropriate blanks and indexes so that the information
required in Sections 5 and 6 of this Act may be accordingly entered. Such
records shall be considered public information and open to public
inspection.
A report filed under this Act is due in the Office of the Secretary of
State no later than the close of business on the date on which it is required
to be filed.
Within 10 days after a filing deadline, the Secretary of State shall notify
persons he determines are required to file but have failed to do so.
Not later than 12 months after the effective date of this amendatory
Act of the 93rd General Assembly, or as soon thereafter as the Secretary of
State has provided adequate software to the persons required to file, all
reports required under this Act shall be filed electronically. The Secretary of
State shall promptly make all filed reports publicly available by means of a
searchable database that is accessible through the World Wide Web. The
Secretary of State shall provide all software necessary to comply with this
provision to all persons required to file. The Secretary of State shall
implement a plan to provide computer access and assistance to persons
required to file electronically.
Not later than 12 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of
the 93rd General Assembly, the Secretary of State shall include registrants'
pictures when publishing
or posting on his or her website the information required in Section 5.
(Source: P.A. 93‑615, eff. 11‑19‑03.)
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(25 ILCS 170/8) (from Ch. 63, par. 178)
Sec. 8. Contingent
fees prohibited.
No person shall retain or employ another to lobby with respect to any legislative, executive, or administrative action for compensation contingent in whole or in part upon the
outcome of the action and no person shall accept any such employment
or render any such service for compensation contingent upon the outcome of the legislative, executive, or administrative action.
(Source: P.A. 93‑889, eff. 8‑9‑04.)
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(25 ILCS 170/9) (from Ch. 63, par. 179)
Sec. 9.
Nothing in
this Act shall be construed to infringe in any way the right of a citizen
to lawfully petition a member of the General Assembly or any other public
official as guaranteed in the Constitution of the State of Illinois.
(Source: P. A. 76‑1848.)
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(25 ILCS 170/10) (from Ch. 63, par. 180)
Sec. 10.
Penalties.
(a) Any person who violates any of the provisions of this Act shall be
guilty of a business offense and shall be fined not more than $10,000.
(b) In addition to the penalties provided for in subsection (a)
of this Section, any person convicted of any violation of any provision of
this Act is prohibited for a period of three years from the date of such
conviction from lobbying.
(c) There is created in the State treasury a special fund to be known as
the Lobbyist Registration Administration Fund. All fines collected in the
enforcement of this Section shall be deposited into the Fund. These funds
shall, subject to appropriation, be used by the Office of the Secretary of
State for implementation and administration of this Act.
(Source: P.A. 88‑187 .)
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(25 ILCS 170/11) (from Ch. 63, par. 181)
Sec. 11.
Venue.
Any violation of this Act may be prosecuted in the county where the
offense is committed or in Sangamon County. In addition to the State's
Attorney of the appropriate county, the Attorney General of Illinois also
is authorized to prosecute any violation of this Act.
(Source: P. A. 76‑1848.)
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(25 ILCS 170/11.2)
Sec. 11.2.
Local regulation.
A unit of local government or school
district may adopt an ordinance or resolution regulating lobbying activities
with that unit of local government or school district that imposes requirements
similar to those imposed by this Act.
(Source: P.A. 88‑187.)
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(25 ILCS 170/12) (from Ch. 63, par. 182)
Sec. 12.
Severability clause.
If any section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of this Act is
for any reason held to be unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect
the validity of the remaining portions of this Act.
(Source: P. A. 76‑1848.)
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