House Bill 1327

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 5-8-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE EXEMPTIONS FROM THE DEFINITION OF "LOBBYIST"; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 5-8-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

5-8-7. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, the following person shall not be included within the definition of "lobbyist" or "lobbyist's client" under this chapter, and accordingly the registration and reporting provisions, including the payment of related fees, of this chapter do not apply to:

(a) A legislative or public official acting in an official capacity.

(b) An individual who:

(i) Represents or purports to represent only the individual;

(ii) Receives no compensation or anything of value for lobbying; and

(iii) Has no pecuniary interest in the legislative or executive action.

(c) An individual lobbying in his or her own interest, his or her own business interest, who pays, or promises to pay, offers to pay or causes to be paid to public officials, legislative officials or public employees any thing or things of value aggregating in value to less than Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) in any calendar year.

(d) An individual lobbying on behalf of his or her employer's business interest where such lobbying is not a primary or regular function of his employment position if such individual pays, promises to pay, offers to pay, or causes to be paid individually or on the employer's behalf to public officials, legislative officials, or public employees anything or things of value aggregating in value to less than Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) in any calendar year.

(e) An individual lobbying on behalf of an association of which he or she is a member, where such lobbying is not a primary or regular function of his or her position in the association, if such individual pays, promises to pay, offers to pay, or causes to be paid individually or on the association's behalf to public officials, legislative officials or public employees any thing or things of value aggregating in value to less than Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) in any calendar year.

(f) An individual who is a shareholder, owner or part owner of a business who lobbies on behalf of such business, where such individual is not an employee of the business, if such individual pays, promises to pay, offers to pay, or causes to be paid individually or on behalf of the business to public officials, legislative officials or public employees any thing or things of value aggregating in value to less than Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) in any calendar year.

(g) An individual who:

(i) Limits lobbying solely to formal testimony before a public meeting of a legislative body or an executive agency, or a committee, division or department thereof; and

(ii) Registers the appearance in the records of the public body, if such records are kept.

(h) An individual who is a licensed attorney representing a client by:

(i) Drafting bills, preparing arguments thereon, and advising the client or rendering opinions as to the construction and effect of proposed or pending legislation, where such services are usual and customary professional legal services which are not otherwise connected with legislative action; or

(ii) Providing information, on behalf of the client, to an executive or public official, a public employee, or an agency, board, commission, governing authority or other body of state or local government where such services are usual and customary professional legal services including or related to a particular nonlegislative matter, case or controversy.

(i) News media and employees of the news media whose activity is limited solely to the publication or broadcast of news, editorial comments, or paid advertisements that attempt to influence legislative or executive action. For the purposes of this section, "news media" shall be construed to be bona fide radio and television stations, newspapers, journals or magazines, or bona fide news bureaus or associations which in turn furnish information solely to bona fide radio or television stations, newspapers, journals or magazines.

(j) An individual who engages in lobbying activities exclusively on behalf of a religious organization which qualifies as a tax-exempt organization under the Internal Revenue Code.

(k) An individual who is a nonattorney professional and who receives professional fees and expenses to represent clients on executive agency matters, except that if anything of value shall be paid or promised to be paid directly or indirectly on behalf of a client for the personal use or benefit of an executive or public official or public employee, then expenditures and actions of the individual are reportable under this chapter, and the individual must register as a lobbyist.

(l) An individual involved in the sale or solicitation for sale of products or services. This exemption shall apply only to activities involving the sale or solicitation for sale of products or services.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2007.