Lobbyist Registration Requirements

67-6602. Definitions.
(j) "Lobby" and "lobbying" each means attempting through contacts with, or causing others to make contact with, members of the legislature or legislative committees or an executive official, to influence the approval, modification or rejection of any legislation by the legislature of the state of Idaho or any committee thereof or by the governor, and shall also mean communicating with an executive official for the purpose of influencing the consideration, amendment, adoption or rejection of any rule or rulemaking as defined in section 67-5201, Idaho Code, or any ratemaking decision, procurement, contract, bid or bid process, financial services agreement, or bond issue. Neither "lobby" nor "lobbying" includes an association's or other organization's act of communicating with the members of that association or organization; and provided that neither "lobby" nor "lobbying" includes communicating with an executive official for the purpose of carrying out ongoing negotiations following the award of a bid or a contract, communications involving ongoing legal work and negotiations conducted by and with attorneys for executive agencies, interactions between parties in litigation or other contested matters, or communications among and between members of the legislature and executive officials and their employees, or by state employees while acting in their official capacity or within the course and scope of their employment.

(k) "Lobbyist" includes any person who lobbies.

All persons doing lobbying must register with the Secretary of State unless they fall under one of the criteria to be exempt from registration.

Before doing any lobbying, or within thirty (30) days after being employed as a lobbyist, whichever occurs first, a lobbyist must complete and file a lobbyist registration form with the Secretary of State, accompanied by a registration fee of ten dollars ($10.00). If a lobbyist is employed by or representing more than one employer or interest, the lobbyist must file a separate registration statement for each.

When filling out the lobbyist registration form, the lobbyist discloses:
1. His/her name and address
2. The name, address, and general nature of the occupation or business of the lobbyist's employer
3. Whether the lobbyist is hired by the employer specifically to lobby, or is a regular employee performing lobbyist services for the employer as only one portion of his/her job duties
4. Whether the lobbyist will be lobbying the legislature, executive officials or both.
5. The general subject(s) of the lobbyist's legislative interest
6. The name and address of the person who will have custody of the accounts, receipts and other documents required to be kept by law

Each registered legislative lobbyist then files financial disclosure reports - monthly during the legislative session (generally covering January, February and March) and an annual report at the end of the calendar year. These reports disclose expenditures made or incurred by the lobbyist during the time period covered.

Registered executive official lobbyists are required to file a semi-annual and annual report detailing expenditures made for lobbying purposes in those time periods.

Those lobbying both the legislature and executive officials will file monthly reports during the legislative session and an annual report disclosing expenditures for all lobbying activities for each category on each report.

Lobbyist registration is on an annual basis. Each lobbyist must file a new registration statement, revised as appropriate, on or before each January 10. Failure to do so terminates the lobbyist's registered status. (Section 67-6617(5)(d), Idaho Code)