Minnesota Administrative Rules

4511.0600 REPORTING DISBURSEMENTS.

Subpart 1.

Determination of actual costs required.

To the extent that actual costs of lobbying activities can be obtained or calculated by reasonable means, those actual costs must be determined, recorded, and used for reporting purposes.

Subp. 2.

Approximation of costs.

If the actual cost of a lobbying activity cannot be obtained or calculated through reasonable means, those costs must be reasonably approximated.

Subp. 3.

Disbursements allocated between multiple entities.

A disbursement for lobbying purposes that benefits more than one entity for which a lobbyist is separately registered must be allocated between the entities benefited on a reasonable basis and reported based on that allocation.

Subp. 4.

Disbursements which are only partially in support of lobbying.

A disbursement that is partially in support of lobbying and partially for a nonlobbying purpose must be allocated on a reasonable basis between the two purposes and the portion which is for lobbying activities must be reported.

Subp. 5.

Specific disbursement categories.

Lobbying disbursements must be reported based on the categories in items A to I.

A.

"Lobbying materials" includes the cost of production, purchase, or other acquisition of materials that directly support lobbying.

B.

"Media costs" includes the cost of media space or time, including website design and maintenance, used for lobbying activities. The cost of preparation of materials for use in the media is reported in the lobbying materials category.

C.

"Telephone and communications" includes costs for local and long-distance telephone services, electronic mail, pagers, cellular telephones, facsimile distribution services, telegraph, and other communications services.

D.

"Postage and distribution" includes costs of postage from the United States Postal Service as well as other distribution costs associated with lobbying activities.

E.

"Fees and allowances" includes fees for consulting, surveys, polls, legal counsel, or other services as well as expenses associated with those services.

F.

"Entertainment" includes costs of all entertainment associated with any situation where lobbying activities take place.

G.

"Food and beverages" includes costs of all food and beverages associated with any situation where lobbying activities take place.

H.

"Travel and lodging" includes costs of all travel and lodging associated with any lobbying activity, excluding the costs of the lobbyist's own travel to accomplish the lobbying activity.

I.

"Other disbursements" includes general administration and overhead and any other lobbyist disbursements not reported in other categories.

Subp. 6.

Effect of gift prohibition.

The reporting requirements in this part do not change the scope of the statutory prohibition under Minnesota Statutes, section 10A.071, nor do they create additional exceptions to that prohibition.

Statutory Authority:

MS s 10A.02; 10A.025

History:

21 SR 1779; 30 SR 903

Published Electronically:

September 7, 2018