Cal. Pub. Util. Code § 130051.18

Current through the 2024 Legislative Session.

Section 130051.18 - Adoption of ordinance regulating lobbying

Prior to the approval of any contract by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or by any organizational unit of the authority, the authority shall adopt and implement an ordinance for the regulation of lobbying that shall include, at a minimum, the provisions of this section.

(a) For purposes of this section, the following terms are defined as follows:

(1) "Activity expense" means any expense incurred, or payment made, by a lobbyist, lobbying firm, or lobbyist employer, or arranged by a lobbyist, lobbying firm, or lobbyist employer, that benefits in whole or in part any authority official or a member of the immediate family of an authority official.

(2) "Administrative testimony" means influencing or attempting to influence authority action undertaken by any person or entity who does not seek to enter into a contract or other arrangement with the authority by acting as counsel in, appearing as a witness in, or providing written submissions, including answers to inquiries, which become a part of the record of, any proceeding of the authority that is conducted as an open public hearing for which public notice is given.

(3) "Authority" means the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and all of its organizational units as defined by Section 130051.11.

(4) "Authority action" means the drafting, introduction, consideration, modification, enactment, or defeat of an ordinance, resolution, contract, or report by the governing board of an organizational unit of the authority, or by an authority official, including any action taken, or required to be taken, by a vote of the members of the authority or by the members of the governing board of an organizational unit of the authority, except those actions relating to Article 10 (commencing with Section 30750) of Chapter 5 of Part 3 of Division 10.

(5) "Authority official" means any member of the authority, member of an organizational unit of the authority, or employee of the authority.

(6) "Contribution" means a payment, a forgiveness of a loan, a payment of a loan by a third party, or an enforceable promise to make a payment, except to the extent that full and adequate consideration is received, unless it is clear from the surrounding circumstances that it is not made for political purposes.

An expenditure made at the behest of a candidate, committee, or elected officer is a contribution to the candidate, committee, or elected officer unless full and adequate consideration is received for making the expenditure.

"Contribution" also includes the purchase of tickets for events such as dinners, luncheons, rallies, and similar fundraising events; the candidate's own money or property used on behalf of his or her candidacy; the granting of discounts or rebates not extended to the public generally or the granting of discounts or rebates by television and radio stations and newspapers not extended on an equal basis to all candidates for the same office; the payment of compensation by any person for the personal services or expenses of any other person if those services are rendered or expenses are incurred on behalf of a candidate or committee without payment of full and adequate consideration.

"Contribution" also includes any transfer of anything of value received by a committee from another committee, unless full and adequate consideration is received.

"Contribution" does not include amounts received pursuant to an enforceable promise to the extent that those amounts have been previously reported as a contribution. However, the fact that those amounts have been received shall be indicated in the appropriate campaign statement.

"Contribution" does not include a payment made by an occupant of a home or office for costs related to any meeting or fundraising event held in the occupant's home or office if the costs for the meeting or fundraising event are five hundred dollars ($500) or less.

"Contribution" does not include volunteer personal services or payments made by any individual for his or her own travel expenses if those payments are made voluntarily without any understanding or agreement that they shall be, directly or indirectly, repaid to him or her.

(7) "Employee of the authority" means anyone who receives compensation from the authority for full-time or part-time employment, and any contractor, subcontractor, consultant, expert, or adviser acting on behalf of, or providing advice to, the authority.

(8) "Filing officer" means the individual designated by the authority with whom statements and reports required by this section shall be filed.

(9) "Lobbying" means influencing or attempting to influence authority action through direct or indirect communication, other than administrative testimony, with an authority official.

(10) "Lobbying firm" means any business entity, including an individual lobbyist, that meets either of the following criteria:

(A) The business entity receives or becomes entitled to receive any compensation, other than reimbursement for reasonable travel expenses, for the purpose of influencing authority action on behalf of any other person, if any partner, owner, officer, or employee of the business entity is a lobbyist.

(B) The business entity receives or becomes entitled to receive any compensation, other than reimbursement for reasonable travel expenses, to communicate directly with any agency official for the purpose of influencing authority action on behalf of any other person, if a substantial or regular portion of the activities for which the business entity receives compensation is for the purpose of influencing authority action.

(11) "Lobbyist" means any individual who receives any economic consideration, other than reimbursement for reasonable travel expenses, for lobbying, including consultants and officers or employees of any business entity seeking to enter into a contract with the authority.

(12) "Lobbyist employer" means any person, other than a lobbying firm, who does either of the following:

(A) Employs one or more lobbyists for the purpose of influencing authority action.

(B) Contracts for the services of a lobbying firm for economic consideration for the purpose of influencing authority action.

(b)

(1) Lobbyists, lobbying firms, and lobbyist employers shall register with the filing officer within 10 days after qualifying as a lobbyist, lobbying firm, or lobbyist employer. Registration shall be completed prior to the commencement of lobbying by the lobbyist. Registration shall include the filing of a registration statement, and the payment of any fees authorized by this section. Registration shall be renewed annually by the filing of a new registration statement and the payment of a fee.

(2) Each lobbyist, lobbying firm, and lobbyist employer required to register under this section may be charged a fee by the authority in an amount necessary to pay the direct costs of implementing this section.

(3) The lobbyist registration statement shall include all of the following:

(A) The name, address, and telephone number of the lobbyist.

(B) For each person from whom the lobbyist receives compensation to provide lobbying services, all of the following:

(i) The full name, business address, and telephone number of the person.

(ii) A written authorization signed by the person.

(iii) The time period of the contract or employment agreement.

(iv) The lobbying interests of the person.

(C) A statement signed by the lobbyist certifying that he or she has read and understands the prohibitions contained in subdivisions (f) and (g).

(4) The registration statement of a lobbying firm shall include all of the following:

(A) The full name, business address, and telephone number of the lobbying firm.

(B) A list of the lobbyists who are partners, owners, officers, or employees of the lobbying firm.

(C) For each person with whom the lobbying firm contracts to provide lobbying services, all of the following:

(i) The full name, business address, and telephone number of the person.

(ii) A written authorization signed by the person.

(iii) The time period of the contract.

(iv) Information sufficient to identify the lobbying interests of the person.

(D) A statement signed by the designated responsible person that he or she has read and understands the prohibitions contained in subdivisions (f) and (g).

(5) The registration statement of a lobbyist employer shall include all of the following:

(A) The full name, business address, and telephone number of the lobbyist employer.

(B) A list of the lobbyists who are employed by the lobbyist employer.

(C) The lobbying interests of the lobbyist employer, including identification of specific contracts or authority actions.

(D) A statement signed by the designated responsible person that he or she has read and understands the prohibitions contained in subdivisions (f) and (g).

(6)

(A) The registration statement may be amended within 10 days of a change in the information included in the statement. However, if the change includes the name of a person by whom a lobbyist is retained, the registration statement shall be amended to show that change prior to the commencement of lobbying by the lobbying firm or the lobbyist.

(B) Lobbying firms and lobbyist employers upon ceasing all lobbying activity that required registration shall file a notice of termination within 30 days after the cessation.

(C) Lobbyists and lobbyist firms are subject to subdivisions (f) and (g) for 12 months after filing a notice of termination.

(c) Lobbyists, lobbying firms, and lobbyist employers that receive payments, make payments, or incur expenses, or expect to receive payments, make payments, or incur expenses, in connection with activities that are reportable pursuant to this section shall keep detailed accounts, records, bills, and receipts for four years, and shall make them reasonably available for inspection for the purposes of auditing for compliance with, or enforcement of, this section.

(d) When a person is required to report activity expenses pursuant to this section, all of the following information shall be provided:

(1) The date and amount of each activity expense.

(2) The full name and official position, if any, of the beneficiary of each expense, a description of the benefit, and the amount of the benefit.

(3) The full name of the payee of each expense if other than the beneficiary.

(e)

(1) A lobbying firm shall file a periodic report containing all of the following:

(A) The full name, address, and telephone number of the lobbying firm.

(B) The full name, business address, and telephone number of each person who contracted with the lobbying firm for lobbying services, a description of the specific lobbying interests of the person, and the total payments, including fees and the reimbursement of expenses, received from the person for lobbying services during the reporting period.

(C) A copy of the periodic report completed and verified by each lobbyist in the lobbying firm pursuant to paragraph (2).

(D) Each activity expense incurred by the lobbying firm, including those reimbursed by a person who contracts with the lobbying firm for lobbying services.

(E) The date, amount, and the name of the recipient of any contribution of one hundred dollars ($100) or more made by the filer to an authority official.

(2) A lobbyist shall complete and verify a periodic report, and file his or her report with the filing officer, and a copy of the report with his or her lobbying firm or lobbyist employer. The periodic report shall contain all of the following:

(A) A report of all activity expenses by the lobbyist during the reporting period.

(B) A report of all contributions of one hundred dollars ($100) or more made or delivered by the lobbyist to any authority official during the reporting period.

(3) A lobbyist employer shall file a periodic report containing all of the following:

(A) The name, business address, and telephone number of the lobbyist employer.

(B) The total amount of payments to each lobbying firm.

(C) The total amount of all payments to lobbyists employed by the filer.

(D) A description of the specific lobbying interests of the filer.

(E) A periodic report, completed and verified by each lobbyist employed by a lobbyist employer pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (e).

(F) Each activity expense of the filer and a total of all activity expenses of the filer.

(G) The date, amount, and the name of the recipient of any contribution of one hundred dollars ($100) or more made by the filer to an authority official.

(H) The total of all other payments to influence authority action.

(4)

(A) The periodic reports shall be filed within 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter. The period covered shall be from the beginning of the calendar year through the last day of the calendar quarter prior to the 30-day period during which the report is filed, except that the period covered by the first report a person is required to file shall begin with the first day of the calendar quarter in which the filer first registered or qualified.

(B) The original and one copy of each report shall be filed with the filing officer, retained by the authority for a minimum of four years, and available for inspection by the public during regular working hours.

(f)

(1) It is unlawful for a lobbyist, a lobbying firm, or a lobbyist employer to make gifts to an authority official aggregating more than ten dollars ($10) in a calendar month, to act as an agent or intermediary in the making of any gift, or to arrange for the making of any gift by any other person.

(2) It is unlawful for any authority official knowingly to receive any gift that is made unlawful by this section. For the purposes of this subdivision, "gift" has the same meaning as defined in Section 130051.17.

(g) No lobbyist or lobbying firm shall do any of the following:

(1) Do anything with the purpose of placing an authority official under personal obligation to the lobbyist, the lobbying firm, or the employer of the lobbyist or lobbying firm.

(2) Deceive or attempt to deceive any authority official with regard to any material fact pertinent to any authority action.

(3) Cause or influence any authority action for the purpose of thereafter being employed to secure its passage or defeat.

(4) Attempt to create a fictitious appearance of public favor or disfavor of any authority action, or cause any communications to be sent to any authority official in the name of any fictitious person or in the name of any real person, except with the consent of that real person.

(5) Represent falsely, either directly or indirectly, that the lobbyist or the lobbying firm can control any authority official.

(6) Accept or agree to accept any payment that is contingent upon the outcome of any authority action.

(h) Any person who knowingly or willfully violates any provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor.

(i) The District Attorney of the County of Los Angeles is responsible for the prosecution of violations of this section.

(j) Any person who violates any provision of this section is liable in a civil action brought by the civil prosecutor or by a person residing within the jurisdiction of the authority for an amount up to five hundred dollars ($500), or three times the amount of an unlawful gift or expenditure, whichever amount is greater.

(k) The authority shall reject any bid or other proposal to enter into a contract with the authority by any person or entity that has not complied with the registration and reporting requirements of this section.

(l) The provisions of this section are not applicable to any of the following:

(1) An elected public official who is acting in his or her official capacity to influence authority action.

(2) Any newspaper or other periodical of general circulation, book publisher, radio or television station that, in the ordinary course of business, publishes or broadcasts news items, editorials, or other documents, or paid advertisement, that directly or indirectly urges authority action, if the newspaper, periodical, book publisher, radio or television station engages in no further or other activities in connection with urging authority action other than to appear before the authority in support of, or in opposition to, the authority action.

(m) No former authority official shall become a lobbyist for a period of one year after leaving the authority.

Ca. Pub. Util. Code § 130051.18

Amended by Stats. 1998, Ch. 485, Sec. 139. Effective January 1, 1999.