§53. Registration of lobbyists with the board; compilation of information

            A. Each lobbyist shall register with the board as soon as possible after employment as a lobbyist or after the first action requiring his registration as a lobbyist, whichever occurs first, and in any event not later than five days after employment as a lobbyist or not later than five days after the first action requiring his registration as a lobbyist, whichever occurs first. He shall electronically file with the board, using forms provided by it, the following information:

            (1) His name and business address.

            (2) The name and address of each person by whom he is employed and, if different, whose interests he represents, including the business in which that person is engaged.

            (3)(a) The name of each person by whom he is paid or is to be paid, the amount he is paid or is to be paid for the purpose of lobbying, and a characterization of such payment as paid, earned but not received, or prospective.

            (b) Amounts required to be disclosed pursuant to this Paragraph shall be reported by category of value. The categories shall be:

            (i) Category I, $24,999 or less.

            (ii) Category II, $25,000-$49,999.

            (iii) Category III, $50,000-$99,999.

            (iv) Category IV, $100,000-$249,999.

            (v) Category V, $250,000 or more.

            (4)(a) An indication of potential subject matters about which he anticipates lobbying.

            (b) Indication of potential subject matters shall be made by choosing from the following potential subject matter categories:

            (i) Aerospace and space technology.

            (ii) Agriculture: horticulture; livestock; poultry.

            (iii) Agriculture: forestry; timber.

            (iv) Alcohol and other beverages.

            (v) Arts and entertainment.

            (vi) Aquaculture and fisheries.

            (vii) Business and private and commercial enterprises.

            (viii) Banking, financial, and accounting.

            (ix) Charities and social services, faith-based organizations, and community outreach.

            (x) Computers, hardware, software, and intellectual property.

            (xi) Construction, contracting, and real estate.

            (xii) Educational services: colleges; technical schools; trade schools.

            (xiii) Environmental quality, conservation, and wildlife preservation.

            (xiv) Gaming.

            (xv) Government: local; municipal; parish; state; federal.

            (xvi) Health care: hospitals; nursing homes; elderly care; hospice.

            (xvii) Health care: physicians; nurse practitioners; nurses.

            (xviii) Health care: pharmaceutical and medical devices; research; development; sales.

            (xix) Homeland security.

            (xx) Hotels, restaurants, and tourism.

            (xxi) Insurance.

            (xxii) International trade.

            (xxiii) Law and lawyers.

            (xxiv) Manufacturing: oil and gas; mining; refining; production; chemical industry.

            (xxv) Manufacturing: wholesale.

            (xxvi) Military and veterans affairs.

            (xxvii) Public safety, police, and fire.

            (xxviii) Telecommunications.

            (xxix) Tobacco industry.

            (xxx) Transportation.

            (xxxi) Unions, labor issues, and special advocacy groups.

            (xxxii) Utilities: electric; gas; water; nuclear.

            (xxxiii) Appropriations.

            (c) The unintentional omission of a potential subject matter as provided in this Paragraph shall not be a violation of this Part.

            (5) The identity of each legislator or spouse of a legislator with whom he or his employer has, or has had in the preceding twelve months, a business relationship. For purposes of this Paragraph, "business relationship" means any transaction, contract, or activity that is conducted or undertaken for profit and which arises from a joint ownership interest, partnership, or common legal entity between a lobbyist or his employer and a legislator or spouse of a legislator when the legislator or spouse owns ten percent or more of such interest, partnership, or legal entity.

            (6) If the registrant was a registered lobbyist during the previous calendar year, whether the registrant completed the annual training required pursuant to R.S. 42:1170 for the previous calendar year.

            (7) One copy of a two inch by two inch recent photograph of the registrant made within the prior six months shall be filed with the initial registration form for a legislative term.

            (8) If a lobbyist is compensated for lobbying and nonlobbying services, he shall reasonably allocate his compensation and report only the amount received for lobbying in the manner provided in this Part.

            B. At the time of the initial registration of a lobbyist the board shall assign the lobbyist a registration number, which number shall be inscribed on the registration form. This number shall be inscribed on each supplemental registration form, renewal form, and expenditure report filed by the lobbyist.

            C. Repealed by Acts 1997, No. 1311, §2.

            D. Repealed by Acts 1996, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 64, §9, eff. July 1, 1996.

            E. A registration shall expire on December thirty-first of each year unless the lobbyist submits a renewal on forms provided by the board along with the appropriate fee. The registrant may file his renewal any time from December first until January thirty-first. Failure to file the renewal form by January thirty-first each year shall cause the registration to expire retroactively as of December thirty-first of the preceding year.

            F.(1)(a) Within ten days of termination of a registrant's employment or representation of any person, the registrant shall file a supplemental registration acknowledging the termination of his employment or representation with the board.

            (b) The registrant shall not be required to file a supplemental registration pursuant to Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph if the termination of employment or representation occurs after December thirty-first and the lobbyist timely files his renewal form during the period provided in Subsection E of this Section and the renewal form accurately and completely lists the lobbyist's employment and representation as of the time the lobbyist files the renewal form.

            (2) Each registrant who ceases activities requiring him to register shall file a supplemental registration acknowledging the termination of his lobbying activities with the board.

            (3) Each registrant who has terminated his registration must file disclosure reports for each reporting period during which he was registered.

            G. The forms shall be published electronically by the board. Registrations which have been filed shall be maintained by the board and made available to the public via the Internet. The filing by a lobbyist of any information required under this Section shall constitute a certification that the information is true and correct to the best of his knowledge, information, and belief and that no information required by this Part has been deliberately omitted.

            H.(1) Whenever any information contained in his registration changes, or the lobbyist begins representing an additional person, a supplemental electronic registration shall be filed with the board as soon as possible after such change occurs and in any event not later than five days after such change, using forms provided by the board.

            (2) Repealed by Acts 2022, No. 543, §3, eff. June 17, 2022.

            I. Each lobbyist shall pay a fee of one hundred ten dollars with each registration and each renewal of registration form filed. No additional fee shall be paid for filing supplemental registration forms.

            J. Each lobbyist at the time of registration or filing a renewal of registration may file a registration or renewal of registration form that indicates that he is registering or renewing registration pursuant to this Part and Part IV of Chapter 1 of Title 49 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, relative to lobbying of the executive branch. A lobbyist who indicates that he is registering pursuant to this Part and Part IV of Chapter 1 of Title 49 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950 shall pay the fee required by this Section and the fee required by R.S. 49:74.

            Acts 1993, No. 965, §1, eff. Aug. 15, 1993; Acts 1996, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 64, §§3, 9, eff. July 1, 1996; Acts 1997, No. 1311, §1, 2; Acts 1999, No. 31, §1; Acts 1999, No. 37, §1; Acts 2001, No. 1041, §1; Acts 2008, 1^st Ex. Sess., No. 13, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2009; Acts 2008, No. 697, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2009; Acts 2008, No. 709, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2009; Acts 2016, No. 418, §1; Acts 2022, No. 543, §§1, 3, eff. June 17, 2022.