SENATE, No. 364

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

By Senator MATHEUSSEN

An Act limiting certain expenditures by lobbyists and legislative agents and supplementing P.L.1971, c.183 (C.52:13C-18 et seq.).

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. A lobbyist or legislative agent shall not make or authorize, or cause to be made or authorized, expenditures providing a benefit to a member of the Legislature, a member of legislative staff or a candidate for nomination or election to the Senate or General Assembly in an amount in excess of a total of $50 during a calendar year.

    2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill provides that a lobbyist or legislative agent shall not make or authorize, or cause to be made or authorized, expenditures providing a benefit to a member of the Legislature, a member of legislative staff or a candidate for nomination or election to the Senate or General Assembly in excess of a total of $50 during a calendar year. Pursuant to existing law, such expenditures include amounts spent for entertainment, food and beverage, travel and lodging, honoraria, loans, gifts or other things of value. In addition, the law currently provides that a "lobbyist" includes any person, partnership, committee, association, corporation, labor union or other organization which employs a legislative agent. The bill's provisions are similar to laws adopted in Florida, South Carolina, Kansas and Wisconsin. Its purpose is to limit the actuality or appearance of impropriety which arises when interest groups spend large amounts directly on legislators, staff or candidates. The limit would not apply to campaign contributions or amounts which may be spent in communicating with legislators, staff or candidates.

Limits certain expenditures by lobbyists and legislative agents.