SF5253

Purpose

• Increase transparency in campaign finance by requiring principals to regularly report their lobbying activities and related spending to the board.

Main Provisions

• Reporting deadline and amount formatting

  • Principals must report by March 15 for the preceding calendar year.
  • The total amounts must be rounded to the nearest $5,000 for each category of lobbying.

• Types of lobbying to report (four categories)

  • Lobbying to influence legislative action.
  • Lobbying to influence administrative action (not including lobbying described in the first category).
  • Lobbying to influence administrative action in cases of rate setting, power plant and powerline siting, and granting of certificates of need under section 216B.243.
  • Lobbying to influence official action of a political subdivision.

• Required components of the report for each lobbying type

  • The portion of all direct payments for compensation and benefits paid to lobbyists in this state for that lobbying type.
  • The portion of all expenditures for advertising, mailing, research, consulting, surveys, expert testimony, finance professionals, studies, reports, analysis, dissemination of information, communications, and staff costs used to urge the public to contact public or local officials to influence official actions; this also includes social media and public relations campaigns and legal counsel used to support that lobbying in this state.
  • A reasonable good-faith estimate of the portion of all salaries and administrative overhead expenses attributable to activities of the principal for that lobbying type.

• Paid advertising threshold and details

  • If disbursements made or obligations incurred exceed $2,000 for paid advertising used to urge the public to contact officials to influence official actions, this must be reported during the period.
  • Paid advertising includes costs to boost the distribution of an advertisement on social media.
  • The report must include:
  • the date the advertising was purchased,
  • the name and address of the vendor,
  • a description of the advertising purchased,
  • and any specific subjects addressed by the advertisement.

Significant Changes to Law

• Introduces a structured, annual reporting framework for principals’ lobbying activities, with a March 15 deadline and year-based reporting.
• Expands and specifies categories of lobbying to be disclosed (legislative, administrative, rate-setting/power-related, and official actions of political subdivisions).
• Requires detailed breakdowns of expenditures and allocations tied to each lobbying type, including direct payments to lobbyists, various categories of spending (advertising, research, staff, etc.), and salaries/overhead.
• Establishes a reporting threshold and detailed disclosure for paid advertising, including social media boosts, with specific itemization requirements.
• Amends specific Minnesota statutes to enact these reporting and disclosure requirements.

Terminology and Phrases (Key terms from the bill)

• principal
• reports
• board
• calendar year
• March 15 deadline
• lobbying
• lobbying to influence legislative action
• lobbying to influence administrative action
• rate setting
• power plant
• powerline siting
• certificates of need
• section 216B.243
• official action
• political subdivision
• direct payments
• compensation and benefits
• lobbyists
• advertising
• mailing
• research
• consulting
• surveys
• expert testimony
• finance professionals
• studies
• reports
• analysis
• dissemination of information
• communications
• staff costs
• social media
• public relations campaigns
• legal counsel
• salaries
• administrative overhead
• disbursements
• obligations
• paid advertising
• vendor
• date of purchase
• subject matter of advertisement
• threshold (>$2,000)

Relevant Terms - principal - board - calendar year - lobbying - legislative action - administrative action - rate setting - power plant - powerline siting - certificates of need - section 216B.243 - official action - political subdivision - direct payments - lobbyists - advertising - research - surveys - expert testimony - finance professionals - studies - reports - analysis - social media - public relations campaigns - legal counsel - salaries - overhead - disbursements - obligations - paid advertising - vendor - March 15