Everett Community College

Public Agency Lobbying

Purpose:

The purpose of these procedures is to comply with Public Disclosure Commission requirements for reporting of lobbying activities by a state agency.  Lobbying on behalf of Everett Community College is expressly prohibited unless authorized in writing by the President.  The authority for lobbying is found in RCW 28.19 and 34.04, and the authority for public disclosure of those lobbying activities is found in RCW 42.17 and 42.21.

Definitions:

•  LOBBYING - Attempting to influence the passage or defeat of any legislation on behalf of a state agency by the    State Legislature or the adoption or rejection of any rule, standard, rate, or other legislative enactment by any  state agency under Chapters 28.19 and 34.04 RCW.

·        LEGISLATION - Bills, resolutions, motions, amendments, nominations and other matters pending or proposed in either house of the State Legislature, including any other matter which may be the subject of action by either house or any committee of the Legislature, and all bills and resolutions which, having passed both houses, are pending approval by the Governor.

·        PUBLIC FUNDS - Those monies appropriated to a state agency by the Legislature for the operation of said agency.

·        NON-PUBLIC FUNDS - Those monies received by a state agency through gifts, donations, or bequests for the purpose of handling agency business which is excluded from the use of public funds.

·        PRIVATE FUNDS - Those personal monies belonging to an employee of a state agency.

Exemptions to Reporting Requirements:

1.      Requests for appropriations by a state agency to OFM.

2.      Recommendations or reports to the Legislature in response to a legislative request on a particular subject.

3.      Official reports, including recommendations, submitted by a state agency as required by law.

4.      Requests, recommendations, or other communications between or within state or local agencies.

5.      Telephone conversations or preparation of written correspondence.

6.      Preparation or adoption of policy positions within an agency or group of agencies. Once a position is adopted, further action to advocate it may constitute lobbying.

7.      Attempts to influence federal orlocal legislation (as opposed to state legislation).

8.      In-person lobbying (including testifying at a public session of a legislative committee or a hearing on rules and regulations being considered for action by a state agency) on behalf of an agency by officials or employees of that agency totaling no more than four days or parts of days during any three-month period. If in-person lobbying exceeds four days or parts of days, then all such days must be reported.

Reporting Requirements:

Each state agency which expends public funds for lobbying must report this activity to the Public Disclosure Commission to cover each calendar quarter in which lobbying occurs. If no reportable lobbying has occurred during the quarter, a report need not be submitted.

If any employee of Everett Community College participates in lobbying, it is his/her responsibility to report these activities to the President's Office in writing, where all such reports will be consolidated and submitted to the Public Disclosure Commission. In cases of an exemption pertaining to total dollars or days as in example (8) above, each employee must submit this portion, since this is an agency exemption, not a personal exemption.

Private funds expended in conjunction with agency lobbying must be reported.

A general guide to determine lobbying: In-person contact with a legislator or legislative body or aides of a legislator which is strictly social is not lobbying. If in-person contact with a legislator, legislative aides or legislative bodies includes explaining facilities, programs, or problems of the district for present or future legislation, then it is lobbying.

Employee reports are due in the President's Office on April 15 (first quarter), July 15 (second quarter), October 15 (third quarter), and January 15 (fourth quarter).