Ohio Code 121.63 – Statement of expenditures – records
(A) Each executive agency lobbyist and each employer shall file with the joint legislative ethics committee, with the updated registration statement required by division (B) of section 121.62 of the Revised Code, a statement of expenditures as specified in divisions (B) and (C) of this section. An executive agency lobbyist shall file a separate statement of expenditures under this section for each employer that engages the executive agency lobbyist.
Terms Used In Ohio Code 121.63
- Person: includes an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, and association. See Ohio Code 1.59
- state: means the state of Ohio. See Ohio Code 1.59
(B)(1) In addition to the information required by divisions (B)(2) and (3) of this section, a statement filed by an executive agency lobbyist shall show the total amount of expenditures made during the reporting period covered by the statement by the executive agency lobbyist.
(2) If, during a reporting period covered by a statement, an employer or any executive agency lobbyist the employer engaged made, either separately or in combination with each other, expenditures to, at the request of, for the benefit of, or on behalf of a particular elected executive official, the director of a department created under section 121.02 of the Revised Code, a particular executive agency official, or a particular member of the staff of any public officer listed in division (B)(2) of this section, the employer or executive agency lobbyist also shall state the name of the public officer or employee to whom, at whose request, for whose benefit, or on whose behalf the expenditures were made, the total amount of the expenditures made, a brief description of the expenditures made, the approximate date the expenditures were made, the executive agency decision, if any, sought to be influenced, and the identity of the client on whose behalf the expenditure was made.
As used in division (B)(2) of this section, “expenditures” does not include expenditures made by an executive agency lobbyist as payment for meals and other food and beverages.
(3) If, during a reporting period covered by a statement, an executive agency lobbyist made expenditures as payment for meals and other food and beverages, other than for meals and other food and beverages provided at a meeting at which the person participated in a panel, seminar, or speaking engagement or at a meeting or convention of a national organization to which any state agency, including, but not limited to, any legislative agency or state institution of higher education as defined in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code, pays membership dues, that, when added to the amount of previous payments made for meals and other food and beverages by that executive agency lobbyist during that same calendar year, exceeded a total of fifty dollars to, at the request of, for the benefit of, or on behalf of a particular elected executive official, the director of a department created under section 121.02 of the Revised Code, a particular executive agency official, or any particular member of the staff of any of the public officers or employees listed in division (B)(3) of this section, then the executive agency lobbyist shall also state regarding those expenditures the name of the public officer or employee to whom, at whose request, for whose benefit, or on whose behalf the expenditures were made, the total amount of the expenditures made, a brief description of the expenditures made, the approximate date the expenditures were made, the executive agency decision, if any, sought to be influenced, and the identity of the client on whose behalf the expenditure was made.
(C) In addition to the information required by divisions (B)(2) and (3) of this section, a statement filed by an employer shall show the total amount of expenditures made by the employer filing the statement during the period covered by the statement. As used in this section, “expenditures” does not include the expenses of maintaining office facilities, or the compensation paid to executive agency lobbyists engaged to influence executive agency decisions or conduct executive agency lobbying activity.
No employer shall be required to show any expenditure on a statement filed under this division if the expenditure is reported on a statement filed under division (B)(1), (2), or (3) of this section by an executive agency lobbyist engaged by the employer.
(D) Any statement required to be filed under this section shall be filed at the times specified in section 121.62 of the Revised Code. Each statement shall cover expenditures made during the four-calendar-month period that ended on the last day of the month immediately preceding the month in which the statement is required to be filed.
(E) If it is impractical or impossible for an executive agency lobbyist or employer to determine exact dollar amounts or values of expenditures, reporting of good faith estimates, based on reasonable accounting procedures, constitutes compliance with this division.
(F) Executive agency lobbyists and employers shall retain receipts or maintain records for all expenditures that are required to be reported pursuant to this section. These receipts or records shall be maintained for a period ending on the thirty-first day of December of the second calendar year after the year in which the expenditure was made.
(G)(1) At least ten days before the date on which the statement is filed, each employer or executive agency lobbyist who is required to file an expenditure statement under division (B)(2) or (3) of this section shall deliver a copy of the statement, or the portion showing the expenditure, to the public officer or employee who is listed in the statement as having received the expenditure or on whose behalf it was made.
(2) If, during a reporting period covered by an expenditure statement filed under division (B)(2) of this section, an employer or any executive agency lobbyist the employer engaged made, either separately or in combination with each other, either directly or indirectly, expenditures for an honorarium or for transportation, lodging, or food and beverages purchased for consumption on the premises in which the food and beverages were sold to, at the request of, for the benefit or, or on behalf of any of the public officers or employees described in division (B)(2) of this section, the employer or executive agency lobbyist shall deliver to the public officer or employee a statement that contains all of the nondisputed information prescribed in division (B)(2) of this section with respect to the expenditures described in division (G)(2) of this section. The statement of expenditures made under division (G)(2) of this section shall be delivered to the public officer or employee to whom, at whose request, for whose benefit, or on whose behalf those expenditures were made on the same day in which a copy of the expenditure statement or of a portion showing the expenditure is delivered to the public officer or employee under division (G)(1) of this section. An employer is not required to show any expenditure on a statement delivered under division (G)(2) of this section if the expenditure is shown on a statement delivered under division (G)(2) of this section by a legislative agent engaged by the employer.