Bill Summary for H 617 (2015-2016)

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Summary date: 

Apr 9 2015

Bill Information:

View NCGA Bill Details2015-2016 Session
House Bill 617 (Public) Filed Thursday, April 9, 2015
AN ACT TO MAKE LOBBYIST EXPENDITURE REPORTS AVAILABLE AND SEARCHABLE ONLINE AND TO REQUIRE LOBBYISTS AND LOBBYIST PRINCIPALS TO PROVIDE INVOICES UPON REQUEST.
Intro. by Cotham, Lewis.

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Bill summary

Amends GS 120C-405(b) concerning the reporting of reportable expenditures by lobbyists, providing that, no later than July 1, 2016, the Secretary of State must implement a searchable web-based database of the reports completed and filed under GS Chapter 120C, as well as the reports completed and filed under GS Chapter 163, Subchapter VIII (previously, did not provide a deadline date for implementation and also required coordination with the State Board of Elections; also only required reports filed to be available, not completed and filed). Requires the database to be searchable by the covered person's name as well as the filing entity.

Amends GS 120C-401(i), concerning lobbyist reports generally, adding language which requires a lobbyist or principal, upon the request of a legislator, to provide an invoice or other document indicating the fair marker value of the reportable expenditure. The required invoice or document must be provided within 15 days of the legislator's request. 

Effective October 1, 2015.

Requires the Department of the Secretary of State, Division of Lobbying Compliance to provide a preliminary report to the Joint Commission on Governmental Operations regarding the implementation of the database by January 1, 2016, with a final report due on May 1, 2016.