Relating to lobbying activities of former or future executive or administrative heads of licensing boards, providing penalties, and making penalties applicable

Under current law, a person who serves as a statewide elected official, the executive or administrative head of an agency of state government, the deputy executive or administrative head of an agency of state government, and a member of the general assembly are prohibited from becoming a lobbyist for two years following the termination of service or employment.1, from acting as a lobbyist for two years after the termination of the person’s service or employment. Additionally, the bill prohibits a person who was a lobbyist from serving as an executive or administrative head of a licensing board for two years after the person stopped lobbying. 1 includes 32 specifically identified licensing boards. The bill does not prohibit an executive or administrative head of a licensing board from lobbying as the board’s executive director. By operation of law, a person who knowingly and intentionally acts as a lobbyist when prohibited from being a lobbyist is guilty of a serious misdemeanor and may be reprimanded, suspended, or dismissed from the person’s position or otherwise sanctioned. Under the bill, a person who was a lobbyist and then serves as an executive or administrative head of a licensing board when prohibited commits a serious misdemeanor. A serious misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for no more than one year and a fine of at least $430 but not more than $2,560.