HCS SB 1288 -- ETHICS

SPONSOR:  Shields (Cooper, 120)

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Committee on Elections
by a vote of 8 to 1.

This substitute changes the laws regarding lobbying and campaign
finance.  In its main provisions, the substitute:

(1)  Prohibits executive branch employees and members of their
household from knowingly soliciting or accepting gifts from
lobbyists.  Certain exceptions are allowed, and there is no
criminal penalty for a violation.  Any gift received in violation
of this provision must be returned and any erroneous ethics
report must be corrected;

(2)  Allows lobbyists to list total expenses, instead of
itemizing expenditures by member, for any committee of the
General Assembly.  Currently, only expenses for standing
committees are allowed to be listed as a single expense;

(3)  Removes the reporting requirement that a lobbyist must
provide a general description of the type of legislation he or
she supported or opposed; and

(4)  Allows any committee that has received a contribution that
is nonallowable but cannot be returned to the original
contributor to transfer the contribution to the General Revenue
Fund or donate it to a charitable, fraternal, or civic
organization.

The substitute contains an emergency clause regarding the return
of nonallowable contributions.

FISCAL NOTE:  No impact on state funds in FY 2009, FY 2010, and
FY 2011.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that the bill makes the lobbyist
reporting requirements for special and standing committees
identical.

Testifying for the bill was Representative Cooper (120) for
Senator Shields.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Missouri House of Representatives
94th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated October 15, 2008 at 3:13 pm