Lobbyists and members-elect reminded of expenditure reporting requirements

As new members are elected to the Ohio House and Senate, lobbyists and their employers, as well as Members-Elect, may be subject to expenditure reporting requirements prior to the Member-Elect taking the oath of office. The Joint Legislative Ethics Committee recently issued a memo regarding reporting requirements for expenditures made on behalf of a Member-Elect.

• Lobbyists and their employers DO NOT report expenditures (gifts, meals/beverages) made on behalf of a Member-Elect, so long as the expenditures are made prior to the Member-Elect taking the oath of office.
• Although lobbyists and their employers do not disclose these expenditures, the Member-Elect may be required to disclose the expenditure on their 2014 Financial Disclosure Report.
• Gifts - A Member-Elect must disclose all gifts that exceed $75 ($25 if received by a legislative lobbyist) per calendar year.
• Meals/Beverages - A Member-Elect must disclose the source of meals/beverages received in connection with official duties that exceed an aggregated total of $100 per calendar year. Only meals/beverages provided to a Member-Elect AFTER November 4, 2014 are considered expenditures related to official duties.