1. A. Unless the Commission grants a county or municipality a modification or exemption as provided in COMAR 19A.04.03.03, the local law shall include lobbying provisions as described in this regulation.

2. B. Lobbying Registration.

   1. (1) To be substantially similar to the Public Ethics Law, the local law shall require, at a minimum, that a person who provides elected local officials, appointed officials, or employees with food, entertainment, or other gifts exceeding an amount specified in the local law during a period specified in the local law in connection with efforts to influence official local actions to register as a lobbyist with the agency responsible for implementing the local law on the form provided by that agency.

   2. (2) The local law shall require that a lobbyist registration shall:

      1. (a) Identify the lobbyist, the subject matters on which the lobbyist will lobby, and any other person for whom the lobbyist lobbies; and
      2. (b) Cover a defined period of time, as specified in the local law.
3. C. The local law shall require periodic disclosure, including identification of recipients, of food, entertainment, and gifts to elected local officials, nonelected local officials, and local employees, from a lobbyist when the cumulative value of the gifts exceeds an amount specified in the local law.

4. D. A local law may adopt provisions similar to the lobbying provisions of General Provisions Article, Title 5, Subtitle 7, Annotated Code of Maryland, including:

   1. (1) Compensation-based registration criteria, a requirement to report compensation received by a lobbyist for lobbying activities, and rules distinguishing between executive and legislative lobbying efforts;
   2. (2) Lobbying registration and reporting requirements for lobbying related to regulations, executive orders, and procurement; and
   3. (3) Registration requirements similar to General Provisions Article, §5-702(1), Annotated Code of Maryland.
5. E. To be substantially similar to the Public Ethics Law, the local law shall provide that lobbying registrations and reports are public records and are available for public inspection and copying.

Authority: General Provisions Article, §§5-206 and 5-209 and Title 5, Subtitle 8, Annotated Code of Maryland

Effective date: September 14, 1981 (8:18 Md. R. 1481)

Regulation .02A and B amended effective January 20, 1992 (19:1 Md. R. 34)

Regulation .03A amended effective January 20, 1992 (19:1 Md. R. 34)

Regulation .04B amended effective January 20, 1992 (19:1 Md. R. 34)

Regulation .05C amended effective January 20, 1992 (19:1 Md. R. 34)

Regulations .01—.07 repealed and new Regulations .01—.07 adopted effective April 18, 2011 (38:8 Md. R. 508)

Regulation .04A amended effective January 16, 2017 (44:1 Md. R. 12)

Regulation .04G amended effective February 7, 2022 (49:3 Md. R. 138)

Regulation .04H amended effective July 17, 2017 (44:14 Md. R. 656)

Regulation .04I repealed effective January 16, 2017 (44:1 Md. R. 12)

Regulation .04I adopted effective February 7, 2022 (49:3 Md. R. 138)

Regulation .05A amended effective January 16, 2017 (44:1 Md. R. 12)