SB 291: Lobbying Amendments - Utah

Amended 3/5/2025 13:03:19 → Substitute #1 · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates Utah's lobbying laws by clarifying definitions of key terms like lobbyist, principal, and public official, adjusting expenditure limits from $10 to $25 for non-food items, and adding exceptions for certain higher education events. It also repeals and reenacts the prohibition on contingent compensation for lobbying and makes technical corrections to align definitions across related statutes.

Scope change

The bill expands certain exemptions for expenditures related to higher education institutions and clarifies which activities count as lobbying, but does not change the overall scope of lobbying regulation.

DEFINITION

Updated definitions of 'education action', 'education official', 'executive action', 'lobbying', 'lobbyist', 'principal', and 'public official' to clarify what constitutes lobbying activities and who is covered.

REQUIREMENT

Increased the daily expenditure limit for non-food items from $10 to $25 for lobbyists, principals, and government officers.

SCOPE

Added exceptions for admission to sporting, recreational, theatrical, or artistic events provided by state or private nonprofit higher education institutions when the purpose is relationship building.

ENFORCEMENT

Repealed and reenacted the prohibition on contingent compensation for lobbying with criminal and civil penalties for violations.

TECHNICAL

Made technical and conforming changes to align lobbying definitions across multiple Utah Code sections including 53-1-102, 63G-23-102, and 67-24-103.

Amended Excerpts 3/5/2025 13:03:19 → Amended 3/5/2025 13:03:19 · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill text was reformatted and reorganized with new header information, but the substantive policy content appears unchanged. The document now includes proper legislative formatting with sponsor information, long title, and Utah Code sections affected, while maintaining the same lobbying definitions and provisions.

TECHNICAL

Added proper legislative header information including sponsor names (Brady Brammer, Jordan D. Teuscher), bill title, and Utah Code sections affected.

Reorganized document structure with new page numbering and formatting consistent with Utah legislative standards.

Added general description and highlighted provisions section explaining the bill's purpose regarding lobbying definitions and expenditure limits.

Introduced → Amended Excerpts 3/5/2025 13:03:19 · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill amends Utah's lobbying disclosure laws to require municipalities and counties to publicly post lobbyist information on their websites before services begin, and expands exemptions for certain higher education events to include recreational activities. The changes aim to increase transparency in local government lobbying while clarifying when public officials can attend university events without violating lobbying restrictions.

Scope change

Expanded scope to include recreational events at state and private nonprofit higher education institutions, and added disclosure requirements for county and municipal lobbying expenditures.

REQUIREMENT

Requires municipalities to post lobbyist names, agreements, purposes, and compensation amounts on their websites before services begin, with links on main pages and one-year retention.

Requires counties to post the same lobbyist information on their websites with links on main pages and one-year retention.

DEFINITION

Expanded the definition of 'expenditure' exemptions to include admission to recreational events at state and private nonprofit higher education institutions when the purpose is relationship building.

Added 'recreational' to the list of event types that may be exempt from expenditure definitions when provided by higher education institutions.

Clarified that the exemption for higher education events applies when the institution is competing in or participating in the sporting or recreational event.

Substitute #1 → Substitute #2 · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates Utah's lobbying laws by clarifying definitions, adjusting expenditure limits from $10 to $25 for non-food items, and creating exceptions for certain higher education events. It also repeals and reenacts the contingent consideration prohibition to align with updated language and adds new definitions for 'education action' and 'education official' while removing some previously included items from those categories.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on lobbying regulation but modifies applicability by changing expenditure thresholds and adding specific exceptions for higher education-related events and activities.

DEFINITION

Updated the definition of 'expenditure' to increase the daily limit for non-food items from $10 to $25, and added specific exceptions for sporting events, performances, and exhibitions provided by state or private nonprofit institutions of higher education.

Removed several items from the definition of 'education action' and 'education official' that were previously included, narrowing the scope of what constitutes education-related lobbying activities.

Added new definitions for 'foreign agent' and 'foreign government' to clarify lobbying activities involving international entities.

REQUIREMENT

Repealed and reenacted the prohibition on contingent consideration, rewards, or incentives for lobbying to clarify the language and ensure consistency with current legal standards.

Updated financial reporting requirements to include clearer disclosure rules for travel and lodging expenditures, and clarified the definition of 'same local government type' for reporting purposes.

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