Key Takeaways:
- It’s a common misconception that lobbying activities at a conference are not subject to the same rules as other lobbying efforts - not true!
- Be especially careful when it comes to gifts, meals, and entertainment. For some states, these activities are generally permitted, but there are many states where they are prohibited.
- It doesn’t matter if you are meeting with an official in city hall, another state, across the ocean, or the moon. Just because you change the location of the interaction doesn't mean the jurisdiction changes.
It’s a very common misconception that lobbying activities at a conference are not subject to the same rules as other lobbying efforts. This is simply not true. For example, though you may be meeting with California legislators at a conference held in Dallas, the California officials are governed by California’s Fair Political Practice Commission regulations — and in interacting with them, so are you. This means that the same gift limits, thresholds, and registration and reporting requirements apply. California has jurisdiction over this interaction.
Meals, Gifts, and Entertainment Rules by State
Be especially careful when it comes to gifts, meals, and entertainment. For some states, these activities are generally permitted, but there are many states where they are prohibited.
Here are some tips on how to prep for summer conference season when it comes to compliance, and be sure to review the map above for some general guidelines on meals, gifts, and entertainment rules by state. If this map confuses you, give us a call so we can help you prep!
Location Isn't Everything This Time
Our favorite and oft-used way to illustrate this concept is: it doesn’t matter if you are meeting with a New York City official in City Hall Park, or in Seattle, or in Paris, or on the moon — the individual is still a New York City official and New York City still has jurisdiction. Changing the geographic location of the interaction does not affect that.
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This article appeared in our monthly Compliance Insider newsletter on June 27, 2024. Our monthly Compliance Insider newsletter will keep you up to date on all the lobbying compliance and campaign finance news you need to know. In each edition, we include key deadlines for the upcoming month, in-depth articles on major compliance developments and trends, recent law and regulation changes, and interesting articles that came across our desks. Explore our recent editions by clicking here, or you can click here to sign up.