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H.R. 3 Enrolled

                 

LOBBYING PRACTICES RESOLUTION

                 
1999 GENERAL SESSION

                 
STATE OF UTAH

                 
Sponsor: Susan J. Koehn

                  Ron Bigelow
                  David L. Hogue
                  Thomas V. Hatch
                  Jeff Alexander
                  Martin R. Stephens
                  Greg J. Curtis
David Ure
Kevin S. Garn
Jordan Tanner
Patrice M. Arent
Ralph Becker
Brad King
David M. Jones
Neal B. Hendrickson
Gary F. Cox
Perry L. Buckner
David L. Gladwell
Gerry A. Adair


                  A RESOLUTION OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ENACTING HOUSE RULES
                  RELATING TO LOBBYISTS; DEFINING TERMS; PROHIBITING CERTAIN PRACTICES;
                  ESTABLISHING A COMPLAINT, INVESTIGATION, AND ENFORCEMENT PROCESS FOR
                  VIOLATIONS; MAKING TECHNICAL CHANGES; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE
                  DATE.
                  This resolution affects legislative rules as follows:
                  ENACTS:
                      HR-38.01
                      HR-38.02
                      HR-38.03
                      HR-38.04
                      HR-38.05
                      HR-38.06
                      HR-38.07
                  Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the state of Utah:
                      Section 1. HR-38.01 is enacted to read:
                      HR-38.01. Definitions.
                      As used in this House Rule:
                      (1) (a) "Government official" means:
                      (i) an individual elected to a position in state or local government when acting within his
                  official capacity; and


                      (ii) an individual appointed to or employed in a full-time or part-time position by state or
                  local government when acting within the scope of employment or within his official capacity.
                      (b) "Government official" does not mean a member of the legislative branch of state
                  government.
                      (2) "Lobbyist" has the meaning identified in Subsections 36-11-102 (9)(a) and (b).
                      (3) (a) "Volunteer lobbyist" means a person not registered as a lobbyist who engages in
                  lobbying within the meaning of Subsection 36-11-102 (8).
                      (b) "Volunteer lobbyist" does not mean an individual who appears on the individual's own
                  behalf to engage in lobbying within the meaning of Subsection 36-11-102 (8).
                      Section 2. HR-38.02 is enacted to read:
                      HR-38.02. Lobbyist Code of Ethics.
                      A lobbyist, volunteer lobbyist, or government official may not:
                      (1) attempt to influence any legislator, elected or appointed state official, state employee, or
                  legislative employee by means of deceit or by threat of violence or economic or political reprisal
                  against any person or property, with intent by doing so to alter or affect the legislator's, elected or
                  appointed state official's, state employee's, or legislative employee's decision, vote, opinion, or action
                  concerning any matter that is to be considered or performed by him or the agency or body of which
                  he is a member;
                      (2) knowingly provide false information to any legislator, elected or appointed state official,
                  state employee, or legislative employee as to any material fact pertaining to any legislation;
                      (3) knowingly omit, conceal, or falsify in any manner information required by the lobbyist
                  registration and lobbyist disclosure reports;
                      (4) participate in committee assignments or leadership races of the House of Representatives;
                      (5) cause or influence the introduction of any bill or amendment for the purpose of
                  afterwards becoming employed to secure its passage or defeat;
                      (6) misappropriate or misuse legislative office supplies;
                      (7) use legislative reproduction or facsimile machines without paying for that use;
                      (8) enter or use a legislator's, elected or appointed state official's, state employee's, or

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                  legislative employee's office, phone, computer, or parking space without explicit permission;
                      (9) attempt to remove or remove any document from any legislator's or legislative
                  employee's office, desk, file cabinet, reproduction machine, facsimile machine, or any other place
                  without explicit permission;
                      (10) engage in sexually harassing behavior or behavior violative of the Utah Legislature's
                  sexual harassment policy towards legislators or employees of the Legislature;
                      (11) offer employment to any legislator or legislative employee that impairs the legislator's
                  or legislative employee's independence of judgement as to their official duties;
                      (12) offer employment that would require or induce a legislator or legislative employee to
                  disclose records classified as private, protected, or controlled;
                      (13) use or disclose for personal financial gain any records classified as private, protected,
                  or controlled that were obtained from a legislator or legislative employee or conspire with any person
                  for that purpose; or
                      (14) induce or seek to induce any legislator or legislative employee into committing a
                  violation of any provision of this house rule.
                      Section 3. HR-38.03 is enacted to read:
                      HR-38.03. List of Lobbyists and Clients.
                      On the first day of each annual general legislative session, the first day of each special
                  session, and on February 15, the Chief Clerk of the House shall inform house members about how
                  to obtain a current list of registered lobbyists and their clients.
                      Section 4. HR-38.04 is enacted to read:
                      HR-38.04. Enforcement; Written Complaint.
                      (1) To initiate an ethics complaint against a lobbyist, volunteer lobbyist, or government
                  official who has violated the Lobbyist Code of Ethics established in HR-38.02, three legislators shall
                  file a written complaint with the Speaker of the House, the House minority leader, and the lobbyist,
                  volunteer lobbyist, or government official who is the subject of the complaint.
                      (2) The written complaint shall contain:
                      (a) the name and address of each of the three Representatives who are filing the complaint;

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                      (b) the name of the lobbyist, volunteer lobbyist, or government official who is the subject
                  of the complaint;
                      (c) the nature of the alleged violation, citing specifically to the provisions of HR-38.02 that
                  the lobbyist, volunteer lobbyist, or government official is alleged to have violated;
                      (d) all documents that support the complaint as an attachment to it; and
                      (e) any facts alleged to support the complaint.
                      (3) (a) Any complaint filed under this rule is a protected record under Title 63, Chapter 2,
                  Government Records Access and Management Act, until referred to the House Management
                  Committee for action, because disclosure of the information in the complaint would constitute a
                  clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy whose disclosure is not in the public interest.
                      (b) Any complaint filed under this rule that is dismissed by the Speaker and minority leader
                  is a protected record under Title 63, Chapter 2, Government Records Access and Management Act,
                  because disclosure of the information in the complaint would constitute a clearly unwarranted
                  invasion of personal privacy whose disclosure is not in the public interest.
                      Section 5. HR-38.05 is enacted to read:
                      HR-38.05. Enforcement; Speaker Review; Minority Leader Review.
                      (1) (a) After receiving the complaint, the Speaker shall meet with the legislators who filed
                  the complaint, the lobbyist, volunteer lobbyist, or government official who is the subject of the
                  complaint, and any other persons who have relevant information about the complaint.
                      (b) In that meeting, the Speaker may choose to meet with those persons together or
                  separately.
                      (2) (a) After the meeting the Speaker shall inform the minority leader that the Speaker
                  recommends that:
                      (i) the complaint be dismissed;
                      (ii) the lobbyist, volunteer lobbyist, or government official be privately chastised and the
                  complaint be dismissed; or
                      (iii) the House Management Committee be convened to hear the complaint.
                      (b) (i) After receipt of the Speaker's recommendation, the minority leader shall meet with

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                  the legislators who filed the complaint, the lobbyist, volunteer lobbyist, or government official who
                  is the subject of the complaint, and any other persons who have relevant information about the
                  complaint.
                      (ii) In that meeting, the minority leader may choose to meet with those persons together or
                  separately.
                      (c) After the meeting, the minority leader shall prepare a letter informing the Speaker that
                  the minority leader:
                      (i) concurs in the Speaker's recommendation for disposition of the complaint; or
                      (ii) does not concur in the Speaker's recommendation for disposition of the complaint.
                      (d) If the minority leader concurs in the Speaker's recommendation, the Speaker shall
                  implement the decision.
                      (e) If the minority leader does not concur in the Speaker's recommendation, the Speaker
                  shall, within 30 days after having received the written complaint, convene the House Management
                  Committee to hear the complaint.
                      Section 6. HR-38.06 is enacted to read:
                      HR-38.06. Enforcement; Hearing; Staff.
                      (1) If the Speaker must convene the House Management Committee, the Speaker shall, after
                  consultation with the House minority leader, schedule a House Management Committee meeting to
                  adjudicate the complaint.
                      (2) (a) The committee must comply with the procedures and requirements of Title 52,
                  Chapter 4, Open and Public Meetings, including the procedures and requirements for closing a
                  meeting.
                      (b) The Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel shall staff the committee.
                      (3) (a) At the hearing, the committee shall review the complaint.
                      (b) The committee may allow the legislators who filed the complaint to address and be
                  questioned by the committee.
                      (c) The committee shall provide the lobbyist, volunteer lobbyist, or government official who
                  is the subject of the complaint with the opportunity to address and be questioned by the committee.

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                      (d) The committee may allow other persons with information relevant to the complaint to
                  address and be questioned by the committee.
                      (e) (i) The complainants, the lobbyist, volunteer lobbyist, or government official, and any
                  witness appearing before the committee may have legal counsel present.
                      (ii) That counsel may privately advise their client about the client's legal rights when
                  specifically requested to do so by their client, but may not address the committee, ask questions of
                  any party or witness, or engage in oral arguments with the committee.
                      (iii) If counsel fails to abide by any of these rules, the committee may exclude the counsel
                  from the meeting.
                      Section 7. HR-38.07 is enacted to read:
                      HR-38.07. Enforcement; Penalty.
                      (1) If the committee determines by a preponderance of the evidence that the lobbyist,
                  volunteer lobbyist, or government official has violated one or more provisions of HR-38.02, the
                  committee may impose any sanction against the lobbyist, volunteer lobbyist, or government official
                  that is not forbidden by the United States or Utah constitution.
                      (2) Appropriate sanctions include, but are not limited to, any, all, or some combination of
                  the following:
                      (a) prohibiting the lobbyist, volunteer lobbyist, or government official from access to some
                  or all of the legislative area of the Capitol for a period of time; and
                      (b) recommending an adjudicative proceeding be filed with the lieutenant governor against
                  the lobbyist under Title 36, Chapter 11, Part 4, Penalties and Statutory Construction.
                      Section 8. Effective date.
                      This resolution takes effect upon approval by a constitutional majority vote of all members
                  of the House of Representatives.

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