JCOPE Issues Guidance for Architects and Engineers

Earlier this week, the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) issued a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document titled Land Use and Lobbying for Engineers and Architects.

The document notes that it “should be used as a starting point for any analysis under the Lobbying Act,” but that it “does not carry the force of law.”

It provides some useful, real world examples regarding whether or not a particular activity (such as participating in an adjudicatory proceeding, responding to an RFI, or participating as a witness in a public proceeding without advocating for a particular outcome) constitutes lobbying activity.

I commend JCOPE and its staff for being pro-active in terms trying to educate engineers and architects as to whether the Lobbying Act applies to them. I hope that we will see more forward-thinking guidance of this nature coming from JCOPE from others who are, or who may be, covered by the Lobbying Act.