House Bill 1137

AN ACT TO PROHIBIT ANY EXECUTIVE AGENCY FOR WHICH MORE THAN FORTY PERCENT OF ITS FUNDING CONSISTS OF STATE FUNDS FROM HIRING A LOBBYIST TO LOBBY THE LEGISLATURE ON ITS BEHALF; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. The following shall be codified as Section 5-8-27, Mississippi Code of 1972:

5-8-27. (1) Any executive agency for which more than forty percent (40%) of its funding consists of state funds shall not hire a lobbyist to lobby the Legislature on behalf of that agency.

(2) The prohibitions of this section do not apply to any public employee of an executive agency who, as a part of the employee's employment, is authorized or directed by the employee's supervisor to engage in lobbying the Legislature. However, this subsection (2) may not be construed as absolving any public employee of an executive agency from complying with the reporting and disclosure requirements of this chapter.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2017.