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Bill > A688


NJ A688

NJ A688
Redefines governmental affairs agent to include those persons performing activities for more than one hour in calendar year.


summary

Introduced
01/09/2024
In Committee
01/09/2024
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
01/12/2026

Introduced Session

2024-2025 Regular Session

Bill Summary

Under current law, a "governmental affairs agent" is a person who receives or agrees to receive compensation in money or anything of value, including certain reimbursements, to influence legislation, regulation, or governmental processes, by communicating with or making expenditures providing a benefit to, a member of the Legislature, legislative staff, the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Governor's staff, or any officer or staff member of the Executive Branch, or who holds himself or herself out as engaging in that business, unless the communication is "isolated, exceptional, or infrequent." Certain communications with the general public are also considered governmental affairs agent activities. However, by regulation of the Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC), a communication is "isolated, exceptional, or infrequent" if it constitutes 20 hours or less of a person's usual work duties. In those cases, that person is not considered a governmental affairs agent. This bill would lower this time threshold to one hour or less, thereby classifying persons as governmental affairs agents subject to the disclosure and reporting requirements under current law when they perform their activities for more than one hour in a calendar year.

AI Summary

This bill redefines a "governmental affairs agent" to include any person who receives or agrees to receive compensation to influence legislation, regulation, or governmental processes, by communicating with or providing a benefit to certain government officials, for more than one hour in a calendar year. The current law exempts persons whose communication is "isolated, exceptional, or infrequent," defined as 20 hours or less per year, but this bill lowers that threshold to one hour or less. This change means more individuals will be classified as governmental affairs agents, subjecting them to the disclosure and reporting requirements under the current law.

Committee Categories

Government Affairs

Sponsors (2)

Last Action

Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee (on 01/09/2024)

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