Conflicts of Interests Acts, State & Local Government & General Assembly, lobbyist; filing. (SB1312)

Introduced By

Sen. Tommy Norment (R-Williamsburg)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Lobbyist reporting, the State and Local Government Conflict of Interests Act, and the General Assembly Conflicts of Interests Act; filing of required disclosures; registration of lobbyists; candidate filings; judges; definition of gift; informal advice; civil penalties; technical amendments. Makes numerous changes to the laws governing lobbyist reporting, the conflict of interest acts, and the Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council (the Council) including (i) allowing the Secretary of the Commonwealth to suspend any penalty that could be assessed against a lobbyist's principal for failing to file the required disclosure if such failure is beyond the control of the principal; (ii) clarifying the procedures for terminating the services of a lobbyist; (iii) requiring that lobbyist registration forms be filed electronically; (iv) eliminating the requirement that a lobbyist list the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of all other lobbyists representing the same principal; (v) creating a separate statement for a lobbyist's principal to waive the principal signature requirement on the lobbyist disclosure form; (vi) granting the clerk of the local governing body or school board the same power as the Council to redact from any disclosure form released to the public any residential address, personal telephone number, or signature; (vii) eliminating the minimum duration of the mandatory refresher ethics orientation session for General Assembly members; (viii) allowing written informal advice from the Council to be admitted into evidence in any trial of a person for violating the conflict of interest acts; (ix) clarifying the Council's authority to grant extensions from the filing deadline and imposing a $250 civil penalty on agency heads or local clerks who fail to provide the disclosure forms to filers in a timely manner; and (x) directing that candidates for statewide or constitutional office and the General Assembly are required to file a disclosure form with the State Board of Elections and not the Council. The bill also extends the filing deadline for disclosure forms from January 15 to February 1 and clarifies the reporting period covered by the disclosure forms. The bill also eliminates events open to individuals who share a common interest from the definition of a "widely attended event," attendance at which was not subject to the gift cap. The bill also exempts from the definition of a "gift" (a) gifts from a person's child-in-law; (b) gifts related to a person's volunteer service; (c) meals provided for attendance at an official meeting of the Commonwealth, its political subdivisions, or certain other entities; and (d) gifts given on a special occasion by an individual in a bona fide personal relationship with the donee. The bill also exempts members of the judiciary from certain provisions governing prohibited gifts and prohibited personal interests in a transaction where such members are already subject to similar or greater prohibitions under the Canons of Judicial Conduct for the State of Virginia. Finally, the bill contains technical amendments. The bill contains an emergency clause that applies to the changes described in clause (x). Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Passed

History

DateAction
01/10/2017Prefiled and ordered printed with emergency clause; offered 01/13/16 17102773D
01/10/2017Referred to Committee on Rules
01/27/2017Impact statement from DPB (SB1312)
02/02/2017Reported from Rules with substitute (12-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/02/2017Committee substitute printed 17105140D-S1
02/03/2017Constitutional reading dispensed (38-Y 0-N 1-A) (see vote tally)
02/06/2017Read second time
02/06/2017Reading of substitute waived
02/06/2017Committee substitute agreed to 17105140D-S1
02/06/2017Reading of amendments waived
02/06/2017Amendments by Senator Ebbin rejected
02/06/2017Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute SB1312S1
02/06/2017Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/06/2017Passed Senate (39-Y 1-N) (see vote tally)
02/06/2017Impact statement from DPB (SB1312S1)
02/08/2017Fiscal impact review from JLARC (SB1312)
02/08/2017Placed on Calendar
02/08/2017Read first time
02/08/2017Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
02/09/2017Fiscal impact review from JLARC (SB1312S1)
02/13/2017Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (19-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/13/2017Committee substitute printed 17105294D-H1
02/14/2017Read second time
02/15/2017Read third time
02/15/2017Committee substitute agreed to 17105294D-H1
02/15/2017Engrossed by House - committee substitute SB1312H1
02/15/2017Passed House with substitute BLOCK VOTE (99-Y 0-N)
02/15/2017VOTE: BLOCK VOTE PASSAGE (99-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/16/2017Impact statement from DPB (SB1312H1)
02/17/2017House substitute rejected by Senate (0-Y 40-N) (see vote tally)
02/20/2017House insisted on substitute
02/20/2017House requested conference committee
02/21/2017Senate acceded to request (40-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/21/2017Conferees appointed by Senate
02/21/2017Senators: Norment, Howell, Saslaw
02/23/2017Conferees appointed by House
02/23/2017Delegates: Gilbert, Minchew, James
02/25/2017C Amended by conference committee
02/25/2017Conference report agreed to by Senate (38-Y 1-N) (see vote tally)
02/25/2017Conference report agreed to by House (93-Y 0-N)
02/25/2017VOTE: ADOPTION EMERGENCY (93-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
03/07/2017Enrolled
03/07/2017Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB1312ER)
03/07/2017Signed by Speaker
03/08/2017Impact statement from DPB (SB1312ER)
03/10/2017Signed by President
03/13/2017Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on 3/13/17
03/13/2017G Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, March 27, 2017
03/27/2017Governor's recommendation received by Senate
04/05/2017Passed by temporarily
04/05/2017Senate rejected Governor's recommendation (18-Y 20-N 2-A) (see vote tally)
04/05/2017Communicated to Governor
04/05/2017G Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, May 5, 2017
04/26/2017G Approved by Governor-Chapter 832 (effective - see bill)
04/26/2017G Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0832)

Video

This bill was discussed on the floor of the General Assembly. Below is all of the video that we have of that discussion, 4 clips in all, totaling 9 minutes.

Transcript

This is a transcript of the video clips in which this bill is discussed.

whether it is true and these things come fast and furious, this just came and I do afollow guise for confusing the companion bill. Is it true under the current version the conference report that the background checks required for nonreligious organizations will not be required for religious organizations. what this will do Mr. Speaker is say that starting July 1, dss background checks which are name only background check will be the policy going forward for religious exempt and all of these other exempt entities. The only difference is because Members, please take your seats.