FEDERAL: On January 11, the Federal Election Commission published adjusted civil monetary penalty amounts in the Federal Register. The potential fine for civil violations of federal campaign finance laws have increased to range from $6,141 to $71,812, from the previous range of $6,069 to $70,973. The amounts are calculated through a statutory formula applying the most recent cost-of-living adjustment multiplier, issued by the Office of Management and Budget.

ARIZONA: The Office of Secretary of State has increased contribution limits for the 2021-2022 election cycle. Effective January 1, an individual may not contribute more than $5,300 per election cycle to a candidate committee for statewide office and legislative office. Additionally, an individual may not contribute more than $6,550 per election cycle to a candidate committee for district office, county office, town office, and city office. Contribution limits for PACs have also increased. A PAC without Mega PAC status may not contribute more than $5,300 per election cycle to a candidate for statewide office. In contrast, a PAC with Mega PAC status may contribute $10,600 per election cycle to candidates for statewide and legislative office and $13,100 per election cycle to candidates for county, city, town, or district office. 

CANADA FEDERAL: Elections Canada has published the federal contribution limits for the 2021 calendar year. In 2021, individuals may contribute up to $1,650 to independent candidates, leadership candidates, registered parties, and to, in total, all of the registered associations, nomination contestants and candidates of each registered party. The limits also apply to any unpaid balance of loans made during a contribution period and the amount of any loan guarantees made during a contribution period. The limits increased by $25 on January 1. 

NORTH CAROLINA: The State Board of Elections has announced an increase on contribution limits for contributions made to candidates from $5,400 to $5,600 due to the 2.8% increase in the consumer price index from 2018 to 2020. This increase is effective from January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2022. 

OKLAHOMA: The Ethics Commission voted to adopt proposed changes to the Constitutional Ethics Rules related to lobbying and campaign finance. Amendment 2021-01 impacts candidate committees formed for election held prior to 2015. The changes include establishing a mandatory dissolution date of December 31, 2021; removing the limitation of expenditure of funds for only those purposes listed on the committee's Statement of Organization; and providing a process for dissolving a candidate committee with debt without filing continuing reports with the commission. Amendment 3 to 2021-02 impacts lobbying laws by adding a new category of gifts for books and similar informational materials that do not count against the $500 overall aggregate limit of gifts and requiring this category of gift be reported in the same manner as other gifts are reported. The amendments will become effective unless vetoed by the Legislature upon adjournment sine die of the regular legislative session on May 28.

Seattle, Washington Expands Lobbying Regulations

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan signed an ordinance on December 15, 2020, expanding the definition of lobbying and requiring registration and reporting for grassroots lobbying campaigns. Ordinance 126260 will become effective June 13.

Lobbying Definition

Ordinance 126260 defines lobbying as communicating with City Council members, the mayor, city officers or employees or agents either of the legislative department or working in the mayor’s office, a department director, or a deputy director or other employee who reports directly to a department director in an attempt to influence any of those individuals to develop, propose, draft, consider, reconsider, promote, adopt, enact, reject, take favorable action upon, approve, disapprove, veto, or fail to take action upon legislation.

Each registered lobbyist will be required to renew the registration statement on the second Monday in January of each even-numbered year. Previously, a lobbyist remained registered until they terminated.

Grassroots Lobbying

While not included in the new definition of lobbying, Ordinance 126260 does add regulations for indirect or grassroots lobbying, which has been part of Washington state law since 1973.

The ordinance requires registration and reporting as a sponsor of a grassroots lobbying campaign for any person who has made expenditures not otherwise reported by a registered lobbyist, a candidate, or political committee exceeding $1,500 in the aggregate within any three-month period or exceeding $750 in the aggregate within any one-month period in presenting a program to the public, a substantial portion of which is intended, designed, or calculated primarily to influence legislation. Within 30 days after becoming a sponsor of a grassroots lobbying campaign, the sponsor must register by filing a registration statement with the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission.

Grassroots lobbying sponsors must file monthly reports with the commission by the 10th day of the month for the activity during the preceding month. The reports must update the information contained in the sponsor's registration statement and any prior reports with contributions received and expenditures made during the month. A notice of termination must be filed with the final monthly report.

[The details for this article are updated on our website in the Registration and Grassroots Lobbying sections of the U.S. Lobbying Compliance Laws for Seattle, Washington.]

At any given time, more than 1,000 legislative bills, which can affect how you do business as a government affairs professional, are being discussed in federal, state, and local jurisdictions. These bills are summarized in State and Federal Communications' digital encyclopedias for lobbying laws, political contributions, and procurement lobbying and can be found in the client portion of our website.

Summaries of major bills are also included in monthly email updates sent to all clients. The chart below shows the number of bills we are tracking regarding lobbying laws, political contributions, and procurement lobbying.

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