Lobbying Contract Template

In politics, lobbying, persuasion, or interest representation is the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies.

There are essentially three types of lobbying legislative lobbying, regulatory advocacy lobbying, and budget advocacy.

Who exactly must register? Most often lobbyists must file registration paperwork. However, some states require those who hire lobbyists, sometimes called principals, to file either in addition to lobbyists or instead of them. The definitions of lobbying and lobbyist also may vary.

Lobbying firms and lobbyist employers register with the Office of the Secretary of State. Lobbyists do not independently register apart from their affiliated firm or employer. Rather, lobbyists supply a certification statement to be included with their own firm's or employer's registration.

A person who provides lobbying services on a contract basis is a contract lobbyist. These lobbyists are not employees of the client-employers on whose behalf they work. Contract lobbyists may have one or more lobbying employers. These lobbyists may receive a fee plus expenses or simply a flat fee.

Regulating Lobbying and Interest Group Activity. While the Supreme Court has paved the way for increased spending in politics, lobbying is still regulated in many ways. The 1995 Lobbying Disclosure Act defined who can and cannot lobby, and requires lobbyists and interest groups to register with the federal government.

Contract lobbyists have a vested interest in seeing their clients succeed: retaining their business. Most in-house lobbyists are judged by more than just their lobbying performance.

An organization employing in-house lobbyists is exempt from registration if its total expenses for An organization employing in-house lobbyists is exempt from registration if its total expenses for lobbying activities do not exceed and are not expected to exceed $13,000 during a quarterly period.

The law was amended substantially by the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007. Under provisions which took effect on January 1, 1996, federal lobbyists are required to register with the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and the Secretary of the United States Senate.