#EthicsMatters | Issue 2023-01
Important Deadline for Annual Registrations
Happy New Year Friends, Clients & Colleagues,
As always, I hope this brief note finds you and yours well.
This #EthicsMatters brief focuses on critically important ethics and regulations on County government lobbying and annual lobbyist registration due — January 15.
Recently, the Commission on Ethics and Public Trust circulated new obligations on principals and lobbyists, including:
- The term “principal” now includes the person, firm, corporation, or other entity receiving the benefit of the lobbying effort and on whose behalf the lobbyist is lobbying, even if the lobbyist is retained, engaged, or employed by a different third party.
- Principal authorizations must be filed annually.
- Lobbyists and the entities they lobby on behalf of are now required to identify the issue of the lobbying.
- “General representation” is no longer permitted as an issue.
- Lobbyists must file annual expenditure reports, even if they had no reportable lobbying expenditures in the prior year.
- The report must list all lobbying expenditures over $25 and must be signed under oath and submitted to the Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners is due on July 1.
The Miami-Dade County Code (“Code”) defines lobbyists as “any person, firm or corporation seeking to influence any action, decision or recommendation of County Personnel” including the Mayor and Board of County Commissioners.
I hope that this information has been helpful and that you will keep it in mind as we kick off what are sure to be an exciting new years.
For more information visit the Commission on Ethics and Public Trust and the Clerk of the Board websites.
We want to hear from you — let us know what you think about this #EthicsMatters brief.
Your feedback makes us better!
Warmest personal regards,
Jorge Luis Lopez, Esq.