Bill Text: IL HB4631 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Lobbyist Registration Act. Exempts from registration under the Act persons or entities that (i) communicate with officials solely for the purpose of discussing and negotiating economic incentive agreements and awards provided through various specified statutory provisions, statutory funds, and local government programs and (ii) do not make expenditures that are reportable under the Act. Specifies that the exemption does not apply if a person or entity performs any other actions that would require registration under the Act.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-04-05 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB4631 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-HB4631-Introduced.html

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103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB4631 Introduced , by Rep. Maurice A. West, II SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
25 ILCS 170/3 from Ch. 63, par. 173
Amends the Lobbyist Registration Act. Exempts from registration under the Act persons or entities that (i) communicate with officials solely for the purpose of discussing and negotiating economic incentive agreements and awards provided through various specified statutory provisions, statutory funds, and local government programs and (ii) do not make expenditures that are reportable under the Act. Specifies that the exemption does not apply if a person or entity performs any other actions that would require registration under the Act.
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A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning State government.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Lobbyist Registration Act is amended by
changing Section 3 as follows:
(25 ILCS 170/3) (from Ch. 63, par. 173)
Sec. 3. Persons required to register.
(a) Except as provided in Section 9, any natural person
who, for compensation or otherwise, undertakes to lobby, or
any person or entity who employs or compensates another person
for the purposes of lobbying, shall register with the
Secretary of State as provided in this Act, unless that person
or entity qualifies for one or more of the following
exemptions.
(1) Persons or entities who, for the purpose of
influencing any executive, legislative, or administrative
action and who do not make expenditures that are
reportable pursuant to Section 6, appear without
compensation or promise thereof only as witnesses before a
legislative committee for the purpose of explaining or
arguing for or against the passage of or action upon any
legislation, ordinance, or regulation then pending before
the committee, or who seek without compensation or promise

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thereof the approval or veto of any legislation or
ordinance.
(1.4) A unit of local government, State government, or
agencies, departments, commissions, boards, or task forces
thereof.
(1.5) An elected or appointed official or an employee
of a unit of local government who, in the scope of his or
her public office or employment, seeks to influence
executive, legislative, or administrative action
exclusively on behalf of that unit of local government.
(2) Persons or entities who own, publish, or are
employed by a newspaper or other regularly published
periodical, or who own or are employed by a radio station,
television station, or other bona fide news medium that in
the ordinary course of business disseminates news,
editorial or other comment, or paid advertisements that
directly urge the passage or defeat of legislation. This
exemption is not applicable to such an individual insofar
as he or she receives additional compensation or expenses
from some source other than the bona fide news medium for
the purpose of influencing executive, legislative, or
administrative action. This exemption does not apply to
newspapers and periodicals owned by or published by trade
associations and not-for-profit corporations engaged
primarily in endeavors other than dissemination of news.
(3) Persons or entities performing professional

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services in drafting bills or in advising and rendering
opinions to clients as to the construction and effect of
proposed or pending legislation when those professional
services are not otherwise, directly or indirectly,
connected with executive, legislative, or administrative
action.
(4) Persons or entities who are employees of
departments, divisions, or agencies of State or local
government for the purpose of explaining how the
executive, legislative, or administrative action will
affect those departments, divisions, or agencies of State
or local government.
(5) Employees of the General Assembly, legislators,
legislative agencies, and legislative commissions who, in
the course of their official duties only, engage in
activities that otherwise qualify as lobbying. Legislators
whose activities are limited to occasional communications
with an official of a unit of local government on behalf of
their employer in the ordinary course of their non-public
employment where (1) the primary duties of the employment
are not to influence executive, legislative, or
administrative action and (2) the legislator does not make
any expenditures that are reportable pursuant to Section
6.
(6) Persons or entities in possession of technical
skills and knowledge relevant to certain areas of

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executive, legislative, or administrative actions, whose
skills and knowledge would be helpful to officials when
considering those actions, whose activities are limited to
making occasional appearances for or communicating on
behalf of a registrant, and who do not make expenditures
that are reportable pursuant to Section 6 even though
receiving expense reimbursement for those occasional
appearances.
(7) Any full-time employee of a bona fide church or
religious organization who represents that organization
solely for the purpose of protecting the right of the
members thereof to practice the religious doctrines of
that church or religious organization, or any such bona
fide church or religious organization.
(8) Persons or entities that receive no compensation
other than reimbursement for expenses of up to $500 per
year while engaged in lobbying, unless those persons make
expenditures that are reportable under Section 6.
(9) Any attorney or group or firm of attorneys (1) in
connection with the practice of law or (2) in the course of
representing a client in relation to any administrative,
judicial, quasi-judicial proceeding, or any witness
providing testimony in any administrative, judicial, or
quasi-judicial proceeding, and who does not make
expenditures that are reportable pursuant to Section 6.
(9.5) Any attorney or group or firm of attorneys in

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the course of representing a client in an administrative
or executive action involving a contractual or purchasing
arrangement and who does not make expenditures that are
reportable pursuant to Section 6.
(10) Persons or entities who, in the scope of their
employment as a vendor, offer or solicit an official for
the purchase of any goods or services when (1) the
solicitation is limited to either an oral inquiry or
written advertisements and informative literature; or (2)
the goods and services are subject to competitive bidding
requirements; or (3) the goods and services are for sale
at a cost not to exceed $5,000; and (4) the persons or
entities do not make expenditures that are reportable
under Section 6.
(11) Persons or entities that (i) communicate with
officials solely for the purpose of discussing and
negotiating economic incentive agreements or awards made
under or through the Reimagining Energy and Vehicles in
Illinois Act; Section 605-1025 of the Department of
Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law; the Manufacturing
Illinois Chips for Real Opportunity (MICRO) Act; the
Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Act;
the Illinois Enterprise Zone Act; the Invest in Illinois
Act; the Community Development/Small Cities Block Grant
Fund; the Workforce, Technology, and Economic Development
Fund; the Film Production Services Tax Credit Act of 2008;

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the Historic Preservation Tax Credit Act; River Edge
Redevelopment Zone Act; the County Economic Development
Project Area Tax Increment Allocation Act of 1991; the
Economic Development Project Area Tax Increment Allocation
Act of 1995; the Economic Development Area Tax Increment
Allocation Act; or any other statutory provision,
statutory fund, or local government program through which
economic incentives are provided to encourage businesses
to expand or relocate operations in Illinois and (ii) do
not make expenditures that are reportable pursuant to
Section 6. If a person or entity performs any other
actions that would require registration under this
Section, that person or entity must register with the
Secretary of State as set forth in Section 3, regardless
of the exemption created under this paragraph (11).
(a-5) If, in the course of providing services as a
consultant, the consultant communicates with an official on
behalf of the lobbyist or lobbying entity for the ultimate
purpose of influencing any executive, legislative, or
administrative action, or makes an expenditure on behalf of or
benefiting an official, the consultant shall register as a
lobbyist within 2 business days of engaging in the
communication with the official or making the expenditure
benefiting the official.
(b) It is a violation of this Act to engage in lobbying or
to employ any person for the purpose of lobbying who is not

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