Lobbying Registration Form Instructions
The Montgomery County Public Ethics Law at 19A-4(l) defines a lobbyist as any individual or organization who spends money or is compensated to influence legislative, executive, or administrative action by a County Agency. Registration of lobbyists is required for those who meet the criteria of Section 19A-21 of the Ethics Law. Filing of this form must occur within 5 days of the requirement for registration first being met. This form must be filed every year the registrant wants the registration to be effective.
The lobbyist registers by completing and submitting the online registration form. After the registrant has been notified by the Ethics Commission that the submission has been "approved," the registrant must submit the appropriate fees. Only when payment is acknowledged by the Commission will a registration be considered effective.
The person filing this form (the "Registering Lobbyist") must file a separate registration for each “Principal”. The Principal is identified in Part A. The Registering Lobbyist preparing and filing this registration should be identified in Part B. The Registering Lobbyist will be the Principal (where the Principal is an individual) or an employee of the Principal. If the Principal has engaged a representative, the Registering Lobbyist should be the representative. (If the Principal or its employees meet the threshold for registration as lobbyists and the Principal also has engaged a representative or representatives, the Principal or its employees must be registered and the representatives must be separately registered.) Where the Registering Lobbyist is an employee of the Principal, the employees of the Principal who meet the threshold for registration as lobbyists should be identified in Part B Section 2. If the Registering Lobbyist is a representative, such as an attorney at a law firm, the representative should be identified in Part B Section 1. Other employees of the Registering Lobbyist’s firm who are engaged in lobbying for the Principal should be identified in Part B Section 2. If the Registering Lobbyist is a representative, the Principal will be identified as the “employer” in Part C.
Example 1: Utility Company is a lobbyist that has four employees dedicating time to lobbying in Montgomery County. Utility Company would be identified as the Principal in Part A and an employee would be the Registering Lobbyist in Part B Section 1, and the Utility’s other employees authorized to lobby on its behalf would be identified in Part B Section 2. There would be no need to fill out Part C. Part D would be completed and certification occurs in Part E. Example 2: Real Estate Company hires a law firm to lobby on its behalf on several matters. An authorized employee/lobbyist of the Law Firm files the registration, also identifies the persons at the firm conducting the lobbying activities in Part B and completes Part C, identifying the Real Estate Company as the employer. The registrant then completes sections D and E.
Fees:
The Public Ethics Law and implementing regulations require, annually, a $125 registration fee with respect to each lobbyist for each registration filed. Lobbyists at an organization or firm who wish to register multiple lobbyists from the organization or firm on the same registration may do so, but a $125 annual registration fee is required for each person listed (except those not required to register because they do not meet registration thresholds in section 19A-21 of the Public Ethics Law.) In example 1 above, the Utility Company has four employees who are identified as lobbyists in Montgomery County; the Utility Company is required to submit a total of $500 (4 x $125) in fees. In Example 2 above, a fee would be due with respect to each lobbyist at the law firm identified on the registration. For payments using a credit card, a 2.3 percent service fee will be charged.
Online Filing Of Registration:
- Fill out the registration form. NOTE: In order to populate the start and end date fields, the dates must be created using the form calendars that appear when the cursor is placed in each field.
- Click "Save and Review".
- Submit the form by clicking “Submit Registration”
- Make any edits and updates to the form by clicking on "Edit Registration" and save it by clicking on "Save Changes". You may edit the submission until it has been submitted to the Ethics Commission along with required fees. Once it has been submitted, no changes to the form can be made. If a change is necessary, please contact the Ethics Commission for assistance.
- Once you get an "Approval" email message from the Ethics Commission, follow the instructions in the email to make payment.
- The fee payable will be $125 times the number of lobbyists identified on the registration (e.g. the Registering Lobbyist plus all persons identified in Part B, Section 2). Payment may be made online by credit card (along with the 2.3 percent service fee) or by check made payable to the "Montgomery County Ethics Commission” and sent to 100 Maryland Ave, Room 204, Rockville, MD 20850-2322.