Lobbyists Registration

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

WHO MUST FILE
A person must register as a lobbyist before the District Government whenever the person receives compensation or expends funds in an amount of $250 or more in any three consecutive calendar month period for lobbying. The registrant is the person who actually engages in lobbying before the District Government and the registrant is the person who actually employs, retains and compensates the person who actually engages in lobbying before the District Government. A person who receives compensation from more than one source in any three consecutive calendar month period for lobbying must register if the aggregate amount is $250 or more. Each law firm, association or business entity employed to lobby must register in the name of the respective entity; provided that a partner, member or employee who performs lobbying duties, must be listed as a lobbyist. Each individual, association or business entity which directly employs a person in-house or retains a lobbying firm to lobby on its behalf, the compensating registrant, must register in the name of the respective entity; provided, that the retained lobbyist or lobbying employee must be listed as a lobbyist on the Lobbyist Registration Form^[pdf].    

WHAT TO FILE
A registrant must file the Lobbyist Registration Form^[pdf] with the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability on or before January 15th of each year or not later than fifteen (15) days after becoming a lobbyist, and file a registration fee of $250.00. The registration fee for lobbyists who lobby solely for nonprofit organizations is $50.00. A registrant must file a separate Lobbyist Registration Form^[pdf] and registration fee for each person from whom compensation is received.

Checks should be made payable to the DC Treasurer. Cash is not accepted.

WHEN TO FILE
A registrant must file the Lobbyist Registration Form^[pdf] with the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability on or before January 15th of each year, or not later than fifteen (15) days after becoming a lobbyist. A registrant must file a separate Lobbyist Registration Form^[pdf] for each person from whom compensation is received. The Lobbyist Registration Form^[pdf] is timely filed upon delivery to the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability by 5:30 pm of the prescribed filing date. All Reports and statements sent to the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability by mail must be received by 5:30 pm on the prescribed filing date to be timely filed.

WHERE TO FILE
The Lobbyist Registration Form^[pdf] must be filed at or mailed to the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability, One Judiciary Square, 441 4th Street, NW, Suite 830 South, Washington, DC 20001.

OVERVIEW OF LOBBYING
DC Official Code § 1-1161.01(42) defines “person” to mean an individual, partnership, committee, corporation, labor organization, and any other organization.

The term “registrant”, pursuant to DC Official Code §1-1161.01(48)  means a person who is required to register as a lobbyist under the provisions of § 1-1162.27.

DC Official Code § 1-1161.01 (32)(A) defines “lobbying” to mean communicating directly with any official in the legislative or executive branch of the District government with the purpose of influencing any legislative action or an administrative decision.

The term “lobbying”, pursuant to DC Official Code § 1-1161.01(32) (B), does not include: (i) The appearance or presentation of written testimony by a person on his or her own behalf, or representation by an attorney on behalf of any such person in a rulemaking (which includes a formal public hearing), rate-making, or adjudicatory hearing before an executive agency or the Tax Assessor; (ii) Information supplied in response to written inquiries by an executive agency, the Council, or any public official; (iii) Inquiries concerning only the status of specific actions by an executive agency or the Council; (iv) Testimony given before the Council or a committee of the Council, during which a public record is made of such proceedings or testimony submitted for inclusion in such a public record; (v) A communication made through the instrumentality of a newspaper, television, or radio of general circulation, or a publication whose primary audience is the organization's membership; and (vi) Communications by a bona fide political party.

The term “legislative action”, pursuant to DC Official Code § 1-1161.01(31), means any activity conducted by an official in the legislative branch in the course of carrying out his or her duties as such an official, and relating to the introduction, passage, or defeat of any legislation in the Council.

The term “administrative decision”, pursuant to DC Official Code § 1-1161.01(1), means any activity directly related to action by an executive agency to issue a Mayor’s Order, to cause to be undertaken a rule making proceeding (which does not include a formal public hearing) under the District of Columbia Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 5, Title 2 of the DC Official Code), or to propose legislation or make nominations to the Council, the President or Congress.