2015 South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 2 - General Assembly
CHAPTER 17 - LOBBYISTS AND LOBBYING
Section 2-17-20. Registration of lobbyists; notice of termination of lobbying activities; supplemental registration statements; list of lobbyists; recording keeping requirements; reregistration requirements.

(A) Any person who acts as a lobbyist must, within fifteen days of being employed, appointed, or retained as a lobbyist, register with the State Ethics Commission as provided in this section. Each person registering must pay a fee of one hundred dollars and present to the State Ethics Commission a communication reflecting the authority of the registrant to represent the person by whom he is employed, appointed, or retained. If a partnership, committee, association, corporation, labor organization, or any other organization or group of persons registers as a lobbyist, it must identify each person who will act as a lobbyist on its behalf during the covered period. There is no registration fee for a lobbyist who is a full- time employee of a state agency and limits his lobbying to efforts on behalf of that particular state agency.

(B) The registration must be in a form prescribed by the State Ethics Commission and be limited to and contain:

(1) the lobbyist's full name and address, telephone number, occupation, name of employer, principal place of business, and position held in that business by the lobbyist;

(2) an identification of the public office or public body which the lobbyist will engage in lobbying and the subject matter in which the lobbyist will engage in lobbying, including the name of legislation, covered agency actions, or covered gubernatorial actions, if known; and

(3) certification by the lobbyist that the information contained on the registration statement is true and correct.

(4) If a lobbyist fails to identify the public office or public body for which he is authorized to engage in lobbying, as required by item (2) of this subsection, then the lobbyist's principal for whom the lobbyist is authorized to engage in lobbying is deemed a lobbyist's principal as to all public offices or public bodies of the State.

(C) Each lobbyist who ceases to engage in lobbying requiring him to register pursuant to the provisions of this section shall file a written statement with the State Ethics Commission acknowledging the termination of lobbying. The written statement of termination is effective immediately, except that the provisions of Sections 2-17-80(A)(5), 2-17-80(B)(5), 2-17-110(C), and 2-17-110(F) continue in force and effect for the remainder of the calendar year in which the lobbyist was registered, regardless of the date of the termination statement filed with the State Ethics Commission. Each lobbyist who files a written statement of termination pursuant to the provisions of this section must file reports required by this chapter for any reporting period during which the lobbyist was registered pursuant to the provisions of this section.

(D) A lobbyist must file a supplemental registration statement indicating any substantial change in the information contained in the prior registration statement within fifteen days after the date of the change.

(E) The State Ethics Commission annually must furnish to each chairman of standing and special committees of the General Assembly, each member of the General Assembly, and each statewide constitutional officer a list of all lobbyists registered with that office. The State Ethics Commission must furnish monthly updates to the same persons. These lists must be available to state agency heads upon request.

(F) Each lobbyist must maintain for not less than four years records which must be available to the State Ethics Commission for inspection and which must contain:

(1) the identification of each person from whom income attributable to the lobbyist's lobbying is paid or promised and the amount of such income attributable to the lobbyist's lobbying paid or promised; and

(2) the total expenditures of the lobbyist for lobbying.

(G) A lobbyist must reregister annually with the State Ethics Commission by January fifth of each year.

(H) The State Ethics Commission shall not allow a lobbyist to register, reregister, or continue to be registered pursuant to this section until the lobbyist complies with the reporting requirements pursuant to Section 2-17-30, and pays all late filing penalties in accordance with Section 2-17-50 and all complaint fines in accordance with Section 8-13-320(10)(1).

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 30-152; 1952 Code Section 30-151; 1942 Code Section 2070-1; 1935 (39) 3; 1953 (48) 361; 1974 (58) 2622; 1991 Act No. 248, Section 2; 1995 Act No. 6, Sections 3, 4; 2003 Act No. 76, Sections 1, 2; 2011 Act No. 40, Section 1, eff June 7, 2011.

Effect of Amendment

The 2011 amendment rewrote subsection (H).