REFERENCE TITLE: disclosures; lobbyists; gifts

 

 

 

State of Arizona

Senate

Fiftieth Legislature

Second Regular Session

2012

 

 

SB 1459

 

Introduced by

Senator Schapira

 

 

AN ACT

 

amending sections 38-542, 41-1231, 41-1232.02 and 41-1232.03, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to registration and regulation of lobbyists.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 



Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1.  Section 38-542, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE38-542.  Duty to file financial disclosure statement; contents; exceptions; electronic reporting

A.  In addition to other statements and reports required by law, every public officer, as a matter of public record, shall file with the secretary of state on a form prescribed by the secretary of state a verified financial disclosure statement covering the preceding calendar year six months.  The statement shall disclose:

1.  The name and address of the public officer and each member of his household and all names and addresses under which each does business.

2.  The name and address of each employer and of each other source of compensation other than gifts amounting to more than one thousand dollars received during the preceding calendar year six months by the public officer and members of his household in their own names, or by any other person for the use or benefit of the public officer or members of his household, a description of the services for which the compensation was received and the nature of the employer's business.  This paragraph shall not be construed to require the disclosure of individual items of compensation that constituted a portion of the gross income of the business from which the public officer or members of his household derived compensation.

3.  For a controlled business, a description of the goods or services provided by the business, and if any single source of compensation to the business during the preceding calendar year six months amounts to more than ten thousand dollars and is more than twenty‑five per cent of the gross income of the business, the disclosure shall also include a description of the goods or services provided to the source of compensation.  For a dependent business the statement shall disclose a description of the goods or services provided by the business and a description of the goods or services provided to the source of compensation from which the dependent business derived the amount of gross income described in section 38‑541, paragraph 4. If the source of compensation for a controlled or dependent business is a business, the statement shall disclose a description of the business activities engaged in by the source of compensation.

4.  The names and addresses of all businesses and trusts in which the public officer or members of his household, or any other person for the use or benefit of the public officer or members of his household, had an ownership or beneficial interest of over one thousand dollars at any time during the preceding calendar year six months, and the names and addresses of all businesses and trusts in which the public officer or any member of his household held any office or had a fiduciary relationship at any time during the preceding calendar year six months, together with the amount or value of the interest and a description of the interest, office or relationship.

5.  All Arizona real property interests and real property improvements, including specific location and approximate size, in which the public officer, any member of his household or a controlled or dependent business held legal title or a beneficial interest at any time during the preceding calendar year six months, and the value of any such interest, except that this paragraph does not apply to a real property interest and improvements thereon used as the primary personal residence or for the personal recreational use of the public officer.  If a public officer, any member of his household or a controlled or dependent business acquired or divested any such interest during the preceding calendar year six months, he shall also disclose that the transaction was made and the date it occurred.  If the controlled or dependent business is in the business of dealing in real property interests or improvements, disclosure need not include individual parcels or transactions as long as the aggregate value of all parcels of such property is reported.

6.  The names and addresses of all creditors to whom the public officer or members of his household, in their own names or in the name of any other person, owed a debt of more than one thousand dollars or to whom a controlled business or a dependent business owed a debt of more than ten thousand dollars which was also more than thirty per cent of the total business indebtedness at any time during the preceding calendar year six months, listing each such creditor. This paragraph shall not be construed to require the disclosure of debts owed by the public officer or any member of his household resulting from the ordinary conduct of a business other than a controlled or dependent business nor shall disclosure be required of credit card transactions, retail installment contracts, debts on residences or recreational property exempt from disclosure under paragraph 5 of this subsection, debts on motor vehicles not used for commercial purposes, debts secured by cash values on life insurance or debts owed to relatives.  It is sufficient disclosure of a creditor if the name and address of a person to whom payments are made is disclosed.  If the public officer, any member of his household or a controlled or dependent business incurred or discharged a debt which is reportable under this subsection during the preceding calendar year six months, the report shall disclose that the transaction was made and the date it occurred.

7.  The identification and amount of each debt exceeding one thousand dollars owed at any time during the preceding calendar year six months to the public officer and members of his household in their own names, or to any other person for the use or benefit of the public officer or any member of his household.  The disclosure shall include the identification and amount of each debt exceeding ten thousand dollars to a controlled business or dependent business which was also more than thirty per cent of the total indebtedness to the business at any time during the preceding calendar year six months.  This paragraph shall not be construed to require the disclosure of debts from the ordinary conduct of a business other than a controlled or dependent business.  If the public officer, any member of his household or a controlled or dependent business incurred or discharged a debt which is reportable under this subsection during the preceding year, the report shall disclose that the transaction was made and the date it occurred.

8.  The name of each source of any gift, or accumulated gifts from a single source, of more than five hundred dollars received by the public officer and members of his household in their own names during the preceding calendar year six months, or by any other person for the use or benefit of the public officer or any member of his household except gifts received by will or by virtue of intestate succession, or received by way of distribution from any inter vivos or testamentary trust established by a spouse or by an ancestor, or gifts received from any other member of the household or relatives to the second degree of consanguinity.  Political campaign contributions shall not be construed as gifts if otherwise publicly reported as political campaign contributions as required by law.

9.  A list of all business licenses issued to, held by or in which the public officer or any member of his household had an interest at any time during the preceding calendar year six months, including the name in which the license was issued, the type of business and its location.

10.  A list of all bonds, together with their value, issued by this state or any political subdivision of this state and held at any time during the preceding calendar year six months by the public officer or any member of his household, which bonds issued by a single entity had a value in excess of one thousand dollars.  If the public officer or any member of his household acquired or divested any bonds during the preceding calendar year which six months that are reportable under this paragraph, the fact that the transaction occurred and the date shall also be shown.

B.  If an amount or value is required to be reported pursuant to this section, it is sufficient to report whether the amount or value of the equity interest falls within:

1.  Category 1, one thousand dollars to twenty‑five thousand dollars.

2.  Category 2, more than twenty‑five thousand dollars to one hundred thousand dollars.

3.  Category 3, more than one hundred thousand dollars.

C.  This section does not require the disclosure of any information that is privileged by law.

D.  The statement required to be filed pursuant to subsection A of this section shall be filed by all persons who qualified as public officers at any time during the preceding calendar year six months on or before January 31 and July 31 of each year with the exceptions that a public officer appointed to fill a vacancy shall, within sixty days following his taking of such office, file a financial disclosure statement covering as his annual the reporting period the twelve month period ending with the last full month prior to the date of his taking office, and a public officer whose final term expires less than thirty‑one days into the immediately following calendar year may file the public officer's final financial disclosure at the same time as the disclosure for the last immediately preceding year.

E.  The secretary of state shall prepare written guidelines, forms and samples for completing the financial disclosure statement required by this section.  A copy of the guidelines, forms and samples shall be distributed to each public officer and shall be made available to each candidate required to file a financial disclosure statement pursuant to section 38‑543.

F.  The secretary of state shall provide for a method for electronic filing of financial disclosure statements required pursuant to this section or section 38-543.  On receipt of those filings, the secretary of state shall make the information available to the public by posting it to the secretary of state's website, except that the secretary of state may redact the personal information deemed appropriate by the secretary of state. END_STATUTE

Sec. 2.  Section 41-1231, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE41-1231.  Definitions

In this article, unless the context otherwise requires:

1.  "Authorized lobbyist" means any person, other than a designated lobbyist or lobbyist for compensation, who is employed by, retained by or representing a principal with or without compensation for the purpose of lobbying and who is listed as an authorized lobbyist by the principal in its registration pursuant to section 41‑1232.

2.  "Authorized public lobbyist" means a person, other than a designated public lobbyist, who is employed by, retained by or representing a public body, with or without compensation, for the purpose of lobbying and who is listed as an authorized public lobbyist by the public body in its registration pursuant to section 41‑1232.01.

3.  "Designated lobbyist" means the person who is designated by a principal as the single point of contact for the principal and who is listed as the designated lobbyist by the principal in its registration pursuant to section 41‑1232.

4.  "Designated public lobbyist" means the person who is designated by a public body as the single point of contact for the public body and who is listed as the designated public lobbyist by the public body in its registration pursuant to section 41‑1232.01.

5.  "Entertainment" means the amount of any expenditure paid or incurred for admission to any sporting or cultural event or for participation in any sporting or cultural activity.

6.  "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 that provides a benefit to an individual state officer or state employee and that is incurred by or on behalf of one or more principals, public bodies, lobbyists, designated public lobbyists or authorized public lobbyists.

7.  "Family gift" means a gift to a state officer or employee or a member of the officer's or employee's household from a principal, lobbyist, designated public lobbyist or authorized public lobbyist who is a relative of the state officer or employee or a member of the household of the state officer or employee if the donor is not acting as the agent or intermediary for someone other than a person covered by this paragraph.

8.  "Food or beverage" means the amount of any expenditure paid or incurred for food or beverages for a state officer or employee provided at a location at which the principal, public body, lobbyist, designated public lobbyist or authorized public lobbyist who made the expenditure is present.

9.  8.  "Gift" means a payment, distribution, expenditure, advance, deposit or donation of money, any intangible personal property or any kind of tangible personal or real property.  For the purposes of this article, gift does not include:

(a)  A gift, devise or inheritance from an individual's spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, parent‑in‑law, brother‑in‑law, sister‑in‑law, nephew, niece, aunt, uncle or first cousin or the spouse of any such individual if the donor is not acting as the agent or intermediary for someone other than a person covered by this subdivision.

(b)  Expenditures which are either properly reported or exempt from reporting under this chapter for:

(i)   A speaking engagement.

(ii)  Food or beverages.

(iii)  Travel and lodging.

(iv)  Flowers.

(c)  (b)  Salary, compensation or employer reimbursed expenses lawfully paid to a public official.

(d)  (c)  The value, cost or price of professional or consulting services that are not rendered to obtain a benefit for any registered principal, public body, lobbyist, designated public lobbyist or authorized public lobbyist or the clients of a principal or lobbyist.

(e)  (d)  Expenses relating to a special event or function to which all members of the legislature, either house of the legislature or any committee of the legislature are invited.

(f)  (e)  A plaque or other form of recognition similar to a plaque to a state officer or state employee to signify the honorary recognition of a service or other notable accomplishment.

(g)  (f)  Informational material such as books, reports, pamphlets, calendars or periodicals.

(h)  (g)  An item that is not used and that is returned within fifteen days of receipt to the donor or that is delivered within fifteen days of receipt to a charitable organization and that is not claimed as a charitable contribution for state or federal income tax purposes.

(i)  (h)  A campaign contribution that is properly received and reported as required by law.

(j)  An item that is given to a state officer or employee if the state officer or employee gives an item of approximately the same value to the giver of the item at the same time that the item is given or on a similar occasion as the one that prompted the original item to be given.

(k)  (i)  Gifts of a personal nature that were customarily received by an individual from the donor before the individual became a state officer or employee.

(l)  (j)  An item that is given to the general public at an event.

10.  9.  "Legislation" means bills, resolutions, memorials, amendments, nominations and other matters that are pending or proposed in either house of the legislature of this state or, for the purposes of bonding, lobbying for any matter pending or proposed before a school district governing board.

11.  10.  "Lobbying" means attempting to influence the passage or defeat of any legislation by directly communicating with any legislator, or in the case of bonding, lobbyists directly communicating with any school district employee or a school district governing board member, or attempting to influence any formal rule making proceeding pursuant to chapter 6 of this title or rule making proceedings that are exempt from chapter 6 of this title by directly communicating with any state officer or employee.  Lobbying does not include:

(a)  Interagency communications between state agency employees.

(b)  Communications between a public official or employee of a public body, designated public lobbyist or authorized public lobbyist and any state officer, except for a member of the legislature, or an employee of the legislature.

(c)  Oral questions or comments made by a person to a state officer or employee regarding a proposed rule and made in public at a meeting or workshop that is open to the public and that is sponsored by a state agency, board, commission, council or office.

12.  11.  "Lobbyist" means any person, other than a designated public lobbyist or authorized public lobbyist, who is employed by, retained by or representing a person other than himself, with or without compensation, for the purpose of lobbying and who is listed as a lobbyist by the principal in its registration pursuant to section 41‑1232.  Lobbyist includes a lobbyist for compensation, designated lobbyist and authorized lobbyist.  Lobbyist includes attorneys whose practice involves bonding, underwriters of bonds and investment bankers whose business includes bonding.

13.  12.  "Lobbyist for compensation" means a lobbyist who is compensated for the primary purpose of lobbying on behalf of a principal and who is listed by the principal in its registration pursuant to section 41‑1232.

14.  13.  "Person" means an individual, partnership, committee, association or corporation and any other organization or group of persons, except legislators and political parties qualified for representation on the ballot pursuant to section 16‑801 or 16‑804.

15.  14.  "Personal hospitality" means hospitality, meals, beverages, transportation or lodging furnished but not commercially provided by a person on property or facilities owned or possessed by the person or the person's family.

16.  15.  "Principal" means any person, other than a public body, that employs, retains, engages or uses, with or without compensation, a lobbyist. Principal includes any subsidiary of a corporation.

17.  16.  "Public body" means the Arizona board of regents, a university under the jurisdiction of the Arizona board of regents, the judicial department, any state agency, board, commission or council, any county, any county elected officer who elects to appoint a designated public lobbyist or any city, town, district or other political subdivision of this state that receives and utilizes tax revenues and that employs, retains, engages or uses, with or without compensation, a designated public lobbyist or authorized public lobbyist.

18.  17.  "Public official" means a person who is duly elected, appointed or retained through election to an elected state, county or local office.

19.  18.  "Single expenditure" means an expenditure that provides a benefit of more than twenty dollars to an individual state officer or state employee and that is incurred by or on behalf of one or more principals, public bodies, lobbyists, designated public lobbyists or authorized public lobbyists.

20.  "Speaking engagement":

(a)  Means the amount of any expense paid or incurred for entrance fees, lodging, food and beverage, entertainment, travel and other expenses for the state officer's or employee's attendance at an event, committee, meeting, conference or seminar, including meetings of state, regional or national organizations or their committees concerned with legislative or governmental activities if the state officer or employee participates in the event as a speaker or panel participant by presenting information relating to the state officer's or employee's legislative or official duties or by performing a ceremonial function appropriate to the state officer's or employee's position.

(b)  Does not include expenditures for an honorarium or any other similar fee paid to a speaker.

21.  19.  "State employee" means an employee of the legislature, a university under the jurisdiction of the Arizona board of regents, the judicial department or a state office, agency, board, commission or council.

22.  20.  "State officer" means a person who is duly elected, appointed or retained through election to any state office, or a member of any state board, commission or council, and includes a member of the legislature.END_STATUTE

Sec. 3.  Section 41-1232.02, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE41-1232.02.  Expenditure reporting; principals and lobbyists; gifts

A.  Each principal shall report annually all single expenditures, whether or not the expenditures were made in the course of lobbying.  These single expenditures shall be itemized separately, and each itemization shall include the date of the expenditure, the amount of the expenditure, the name of each state officer or employee receiving or benefitting from the expenditure, the category of the expenditure and the name of the lobbyist or other person who made the expenditure on behalf of the principal.  In addition each principal shall report annually the aggregate of all expenditures of twenty dollars or less received by or benefitting a state officer or employee, whether or not the expenditures were made in the course of lobbying.  The report shall be filed by March 1 and shall list the annual expenditures made on behalf of the principal.  If March 1 is a Saturday, Sunday or other legal holiday, the report shall be filed on the next business day.

B.  Each lobbyist for compensation and designated lobbyist shall report quarterly all single expenditures incurred in the preceding calendar quarter by the lobbyist for compensation or designated lobbyist, whether or not the single expenditures were made in the course of lobbying.  These single expenditures shall be itemized separately, and each itemization shall include the date of the expenditure, the amount of the expenditure, the name of the state officer or employee receiving or benefitting from the expenditure, the category of the expenditure and the principal on whose behalf the expenditure was made.  If the expenditure was made by the lobbyist and was not made on behalf of a principal, it shall be itemized separately.  The quarterly report shall be filed no later than the last day of the month following the end of the calendar quarter, unless the last day of the month is a Saturday, Sunday or other legal holiday.  In that case, the report shall be filed on the next business day.

C.  Each lobbyist for compensation and designated lobbyist shall also report quarterly the aggregate of all expenditures of twenty dollars or less received by or benefitting a state officer or employee, whether or not the expenditures were made in the course of lobbying.  The report shall list separately the aggregate of expenditures made on behalf of each principal and the aggregate not made on behalf of any principal.  In the fourth calendar quarter, these expenditures shall also be listed by cumulative total for the calendar year.  Each quarterly lobbyist report shall include all reportable expenditures made by any employee of the lobbyist for compensation or designated lobbyist, regardless of whether that employee is listed as a lobbyist on any registration filed by a principal engaging the lobbyist.  The quarterly report shall be filed no later than the last day of the month following the end of the calendar quarter, unless the last day of the month is a Saturday, Sunday or other legal holiday.  In that case, the report shall be filed the next business day.

D.  The reports required by subsections A and B of this section shall identify each single expenditure according to the following categories:

1.  Food or beverages.

2.  Speaking engagement.

3.  Travel and lodging.

4.  Flowers.

1.  Salary or other compensation.

2.  Professional or consulting services.

3.  Plaque or other recognition.

4.  Informational material.

5.  Other expenditures.

E.  Expenditures by principals and lobbyists such as those for the lobbyist's personal sustenance, office expenses, filing fees, legal fees, employees' compensation, lodging and travel are not required to be reported. In addition, expenditures by a principal or a lobbyist for family gifts, personal hospitality or those items excluded from the definition of gift pursuant to section 41‑1231, paragraph 8, subdivision (a), (c), (d), (f), (g), (h), (i) or (j), (k) or (l) are not required to be reported.

F.  All expenditures incurred by a principal or lobbyist in the case of special events for legislators, including parties, dinners, athletic events, entertainment and other functions, to which all members of the legislature, either house of the legislature or any committee of the legislature are invited shall be reported.  Expenditures are not required to be allocated to individual legislators, but for each such event a description of the event and the date, location, name of the legislative body invited and total expenditures incurred shall be reported.  Expenditures for special events held in conjunction with state, national or regional meetings of an organization or association concerned or dealing with legislative or other governmental activities to which all state officers or state employees in attendance at such event are invited shall be reported in the same manner.

G.  All information required to be filed pursuant to this section with the secretary of state shall be filed in that office and preserved by the secretary of state for five years from the date of filing, after which time the information shall be destroyed.  The information is a public record and open to public inspection.

H.  If a principal, lobbyist for compensation or designated lobbyist makes no expenditures that it would otherwise be required to report during a specified reporting period, the principal, lobbyist for compensation or designated lobbyist may sign a notarized form prescribed by the secretary of state indicating that there were no expenditures during the specific reporting period.

I.  A person or organization shall not make a gift to or an expenditure on behalf of a state officer or employee through another person or organization for the purpose of disguising the identity of the person making the gift or expenditure.

J.  A principal or lobbyist or any other person acting on behalf of a principal or lobbyist shall not give to any state officer or state employee and a state officer or state employee shall not accept from a principal or lobbyist either of the following:

1.  Gifts with a total value of more than ten dollars during any calendar year.

2.  Gifts that are designed to influence the state officer's or state employee's official conduct. END_STATUTE

Sec. 4.  Section 41-1232.03, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE41-1232.03.  Expenditure reporting; public bodies and public lobbyists; gifts

A.  Each public body shall report annually all single expenditures received by or benefitting a member of the legislature whether or not the expenditures were made in the course of lobbying.  These expenditures shall be itemized separately, and each itemization shall include the date of the expenditure, the amount of the expenditure, the name of each member of the legislature receiving or benefitting from the expenditure, the category of the expenditure and the name of the designated public lobbyist or authorized public lobbyist who made the expenditure on behalf of the public body.  In addition each public body shall report annually the aggregate of all expenditures of twenty dollars or less received by or benefitting a member of the legislature, whether or not the expenditures were made in the course of lobbying.  The report shall list all expenditures by the public body made in the course of lobbying for the personal sustenance, filing fee, legal fees, employees' compensation, meals, lodging and travel of the designated public lobbyist and all authorized public lobbyists employed or retained by, and representing, the public body.  The public body shall apportion expenditures that are attributable both to lobbying and to other activities of the public body and shall report only the portion attributable to lobbying.  For the purpose of reporting employee compensation, a public body, on establishing a time allocation schedule for apportioned lobbying activity based on actual experience under this article, may submit after the 1993 calendar year an affidavit to the secretary of state stating the compensation attributable to lobbying for subsequent years for the designated public lobbyist and all authorized public lobbyists whose job responsibilities have not been significantly altered since the time allocation schedule was established.  The report shall be filed by March 1 and shall list the annual expenditures made on behalf of the public body.  If March 1 is a Saturday, Sunday or other legal holiday, the report shall be filed on the next business day.

B.  Each designated public lobbyist shall report quarterly all single expenditures received by or benefitting a member of the legislature and incurred in the preceding calendar quarter by the designated public lobbyist, whether or not the single expenditures were made in the course of lobbying. Each designated public lobbyist's report shall also include all single expenditures incurred in the preceding calendar quarter by each authorized public lobbyist who is registered pursuant to section 41‑1232.01 by the same public body that registered the designated public lobbyist.  This subsection does not apply to an expenditure that was made by a designated public lobbyist or authorized public lobbyist and that was received by or benefitted an employee of a public body, if the employee is not a member or employee of the legislature or a member of the household of a member or employee of the legislature.  These expenditures shall be itemized separately, and each itemization shall include the date of the expenditure, the amount of the expenditure, the name of the member or employee receiving or benefitting from the expenditure, the category of the expenditure and the public body on whose behalf the expenditure was made.  If the expenditure was made by the designated public lobbyist or authorized public lobbyist and was not made on behalf of a public body, it shall be itemized separately.  The quarterly report shall be filed no later than the last day of the month following the end of the calendar quarter, unless the last day of the month is a Saturday, Sunday or other legal holiday.  In that case, the report shall be filed on the next business day.

C.  Each designated public lobbyist shall also report quarterly the aggregate of all expenditures of twenty dollars or less received by or benefitting a member of the legislature, whether or not the expenditures were made in the course of lobbying.  Each designated public lobbyist's report shall also include the aggregate of all expenditures of twenty dollars or less that were received by or benefitted a member of the legislature and that were made by an authorized public lobbyist who is registered pursuant to section 41‑1232.01 by the same public body that registered the designated public lobbyist.  This subsection does not apply to an expenditure that was made by a designated public lobbyist or authorized public lobbyist and that was received by or benefitted an employee of a public body, if the employee is not a member or employee of the legislature or a member of the household of a member or employee of the legislature.  The report shall list separately the aggregate of expenditures made on behalf of each public body and the aggregate not made on behalf of any public body.  In the fourth calendar quarter, these expenditures shall also be listed by cumulative total for the calendar year.  Each quarterly lobbyist report shall include all reportable expenditures made by any employee of the designated public lobbyist or authorized public lobbyist, regardless of whether that employee is listed as a designated public lobbyist or authorized public lobbyist on any registration filed by a public body engaging the designated public lobbyist or authorized public lobbyist.  The quarterly report shall be filed no later than the last day of the month following the end of the calendar quarter, unless the last day of the month is a Saturday, Sunday or other legal holiday.  In that case, the report shall be filed on the next business day.

D.  The reports required by subsections A and B of this section shall identify the nature of each single expenditure according to the following categories:

1.  Food or beverages.

2.  Speaking engagement.

3.  Travel and lodging.

4.  Flowers.

1.  Salary or other compensation.

2.  Professional or consulting services.

3.  Plaque or other recognition.

4.  Informational material.

5.  Other expenditures.

E.  Expenditures by a public body, designated public lobbyist or authorized public lobbyist for personal sustenance, family gifts, personal hospitality or those items excluded from the definition of gift pursuant to section 41‑1231, paragraph 8, subdivision (a), (c), (d), (f), (g), (h), (i) or (j), (k) or (l) are not required to be reported.

F.  All expenditures incurred by a public body, designated public lobbyist or authorized public lobbyist in the case of special events for legislators, including parties, dinners, athletic events, entertainment and other functions, to which all members of the legislature, either house of the legislature or any committee of the legislature are invited shall be reported.  Expenditures are not required to be allocated to individual legislators, but for each such event a description of the event and the date, location, name of the legislative body invited and total expenditures incurred shall be reported.  Expenditures for special events held in conjunction with state, national or regional meetings of an organization or association concerned or dealing with legislative or other governmental activities to which all members or employees of the legislature in attendance at such event are invited shall be reported in the same manner.

G.  All information required to be filed pursuant to this section with the secretary of state shall be filed in that office and preserved by the secretary of state for five years from the date of filing, after which time the information shall be destroyed.  The information is a public record and open to public inspection.

H.  If a public body or designated public lobbyist makes no expenditures that it would otherwise be required to report during a specified reporting period, the public body or designated public lobbyist may sign a notarized form prescribed by the secretary of state indicating that there were no expenditures during the specific reporting period.

I.  A person or organization shall not make a gift to or an expenditure on behalf of a member or employee of the legislature through another person or organization for the purpose of disguising the identity of the person making the gift or expenditure.

J.  A public body, designated public lobbyist or authorized public lobbyist or any other person acting on behalf of a public body, designated public lobbyist or authorized public lobbyist shall not give to any member of the legislature and a member of the legislature shall not accept from a public body, designated public lobbyist or authorized public lobbyist either of the following:

1.  Gifts with a total value of more than ten dollars during any calendar year.

2.  Gifts that are designed to influence the member's or employee's official conduct.

K.  Subsection J of this section does not apply to gifts given by a public body, designated public lobbyist or authorized public lobbyist to an employee of a public body, if the employee is not a public official or a member of the household of a public official or if the gift is accepted on behalf of the public body and remains the property of the public body.END_STATUTE