JCOPE Gives Final Approval to Lobbying Regulations

JCOPE logoAt its meeting earlier today, the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) approved new regulations that will govern New York’s lobbying industry.

This process started almost a year –and-a-half ago with the release of a “staff proposal” for its comprehensive lobbying regulations.  (Read my October 2016 blog post here.)

For the first time, JCOPE will have in one place all of the rules that govern lobbying activity and reporting.  The regulations also provide clear guidance on when activity on social media or at the grassroots level should be considered lobbying activity, and thus requires registration and periodic reporting.  The rules also make some change to what lobbyists are required to report in terms of the targets of their lobbying activity on lobbyist’s bi-monthly reports.

In a statement, JCOPE Chair Michael Rosen said:

“Today’s vote by the Joint Commission on Public Ethics to adopt New York State’s first comprehensive lobbying regulations marks an important step in the Commission’s efforts to ensure public transparency regarding who spends money to influence government, and where and how lobbyists and their clients spend that money.

To that end, there are three important take-aways from the lobbying regulations, each of which sheds light on the influence of money in government decision-making:

  • First, the “true” clients — the real parties seeking to influence government –  must be identified and follow the source of funding reporting rules;
  • Second, the public will see broader and more specific information on lobbying activities, as well as the targets of lobbyists and their clients; and,
  • Third, the public will see when and how grassroots lobbying, including paid lobbying through social media, occurs and who is paying for it.”

JCOPE still has to publish a notice of adoption in the New York State Register, which will probably happen in May.  According to press reports, they will take effect in 2019.

Read coverage from the Capitol Confidential blog and Politico NY (behind a paywall).