Lobbyist registration and annual reporting rules

(a) Each lobbyist shall, not later than five days after engaging the lobbyist’s to conduct lobbying activities or receiving contributions, membership dues, or a fee or salary as set forth in § 3-13.2 , file a registration form with the ethics commission. (b) Such registration form shall be developed by the ethics commission and shall include the registrant’s full name and address; place of business; the full name and complete address of each person, whether or not an employee, who will lobby on behalf of the registrant; the full name of each person by whom the registrant is retained or employed or on whose behalf the registrant lobbies; duration of such person’s employment; and a description of the matters on which the registrant expects to lobby. If the registrant lobbies or purports to lobby on behalf of members, such registration form shall include a statement of the number of members, and a full and complete description of the methods by which the members develop and make decisions about positions on policy. In addition thereto, each registration form shall be accompanied by a written authorization from each person (as defined in § 3-13.2) by whom the registrant is employed or authorized to lobby. In a situation where the “person” is other than a natural person, i.e., a corporation, association, partnership, or any organization consisting of groups of individuals, written authorization shall be executed by the president or an officer delegated such power by the president or the organization’s board of directors. (c) Each lobbyist shall file with the ethics commission an annual report concerning the lobbyist’s activities during the preceding calendar year ending December 31 by January 10 of each year, or, if the date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, the next business day, as long as such lobbyist continues to engage in the activity described in § 3-13.2 . The annual report form shall be developed by the ethics commission and shall include, in addition to an up-to-date statement of the information required to be supplied in the registration form, such information for the preceding calendar year concerning: (1) Contributions, membership fees, and other receipts relating to lobbying activities of the lobbyist; (2) Amounts expended for lobbying by the lobbyist; and (3) Each decision of the policy making process the reporting lobbyist sought to influence, as the ethics commission deems necessary to effectuate the purposes of this article. (d) Each lobbyist shall file a supplementary registration form with the ethics commission no later than 10 days after any change in the information supplied in the lobbyist’s last registration form under subsection (b). Such supplementary registration form shall include a complete description of the information that has changed. (e) The registration and reporting requirements set forth herein shall not apply to: (1) Any person who merely appears at a public hearing before the council, its committees, or city agencies to express such person’s opinion on pending legislation or rules involved in the city’s policy making process, or both; (2) Any federal, State, or county official or employee acting in such person’s official capacity; (3) Any elected public official acting in such person’s official capacity; (4) Any newspaper or other regularly published periodical, radio, or television station (including any individual who owns, publishes, or is employed by a newspaper or periodical or radio or television station), which in the ordinary course of business, publishes news items, editorials or other comments, or paid advertisements, which directly or indirectly urge the taking of legislative or executive action, if the newspaper, periodical, radio, or television station or individual engages in no further or other activities in connection with influencing decisions in the policy making process of the City and County of Honolulu; (5) Any person representing a bona fide church solely for the purpose of protecting the public right to practice the doctrines of the church; (6) Any unpaid volunteer representing a nonprofit organization, association, or corporation; provided that the organization, association, or corporation: (A) Is registered in accordance with this section; and (B) Files a written authorization with the ethics commission specifically designating such person to represent it; and such persons may engage in the activities described in this subsection without being holders of a certificate of registration.