§ 46-265 — Registration of lobbyists; form and contents; lobbying concerning legislative matters, copies of registrations and reports; fees; termination statement; failure to pay civil penalties, registration prohibited

(a) Every lobbyist shall register with the secretary of state by completing and signing a registration form prescribed and provided by the commission. The registration shall show the name and address of the lobbyist, the name and address of the person compensating the lobbyist for lobbying, the purpose of the employment, the name of each state agency or state office and any agency, division or unit thereof and each judicial department, institution, office, commission, board or bureau and any agency, division or unit thereof and whether the lobbyist will lobby the legislative branch and the method of determining and computing the compensation of the lobbyist. If the lobbyist is compensated or to be compensated for lobbying by more than one employer or is to be engaged in more than one employment, the relevant facts listed above shall be stated separately for each employer and each employment. Whenever any new lobbying employment or lobbying position is accepted by a lobbyist already registered as provided in this section, the lobbyist shall report the same on forms prescribed and provided by the commission before engaging in any lobbying activity related to the new employment or position, and the report shall be filed with the secretary of state. When a lobbyist is an employee of a lobbying group or firm which contracts to lobby and not an owner or partner of the lobbying group or firm, the lobbyist shall report each client of the group, firm or entity whose interest the lobbyist represents. Whenever the lobbying of a lobbyist concerns a legislative matter, the secretary of state promptly shall transmit copies of each registration and each report filed under this act to the secretary of the senate and the chief clerk of the house of representatives.
(b) On or after October 1, in any year any person may register as a lobbyist under this section for the succeeding calendar year. The registration shall expire annually on December 31 of the year for which the lobbyist is registered. In any calendar year, before engaging in lobbying, persons to whom this section applies shall register or renew their registration as provided in this section. Except for employees of lobbying groups or firms, every person registering or renewing registration who anticipates spending $1,000 or less for lobbying in the registration year on behalf of any one employer shall pay to the secretary of state a fee of $50 for lobbying for each employer. Except for employees of lobbying groups or firms, every person registering or renewing registration who anticipates spending more than $1,000 for lobbying in the registration year on behalf of any one employer shall pay to the secretary of state a fee of $350 for lobbying for the employer. Any lobbyist who at the time of initial registration anticipated spending less than $1,000, on behalf of any one employer, but at a later date spends in excess of that amount, within three days of the date when expenditures exceed that amount, shall file an amended registration form which shall be accompanied by an additional fee of $300 for the year. Every person registering or renewing registration as a lobbyist who is an employee of a lobbying group or firm and not an owner or partner of the lobbying group or firm shall pay an annual fee of $450. The secretary of state shall remit all moneys received under this section to the state treasurer in accordance with the provisions of K.S.A. 75-4215, and amendments thereto. Upon receipt of each such remittance, the state treasurer shall deposit the entire amount in the state treasury to the credit of the governmental ethics commission fee fund.
(c) Any person who has registered as a lobbyist pursuant to this act may file, upon termination of the person's lobbying activities, a statement terminating the person's registration as a lobbyist. The statement shall be on a form prescribed by the commission and shall state the name and address of the lobbyist, the name and address of the person compensating the lobbyist for lobbying and the date of the termination of the lobbyist's lobbying activities.
(d) No person who has failed or refused to pay any civil penalty imposed pursuant to K.S.A. 46-280, and amendments thereto, shall be authorized or permitted to register as a lobbyist in accordance with this section until the penalty has been paid in full.

Legislative History

L. 1974, ch. 353, § 51; L. 1975, ch. 272, § 18; L. 1982, ch. 363, § 15; L. 1989, ch. 93, § 3; L. 1991, ch. 150, § 32; L. 1993, ch. 94, § 1; L. 1994, ch. 144, § 3; L. 1998, ch. 117, § 22; L. 2000, ch. 168, § 3; L. 2001, ch. 5, § 152; L. 2015, ch. 85, § 13; L. 2018, ch. 51, § 5; July 1.