Chapter 120C

(a) As used in this Article, the following terms mean: (1) Commission. - The State Ethics Commission under Chapter 138A of the General Statutes. (3) Designated individual. - A legislator, legislative employee, or public servant. (5) Executive action. - The preparation, research, …

(a) The Commission shall adopt any rules or definitions necessary to interpret the provisions of this Chapter and adopt any rules necessary to administer the provisions of this Chapter, except for Articles 2, 4 and 8 of this Chapter. The Secretary of State shall adopt any rules, …

(a) At the request of any person, State agency, or governmental unit affected by this Chapter, the Commission shall render advice on specific questions involving the meaning and application of this Chapter and that person's, State agency's, or any governmental unit's compliance t…

(a) The Commission shall develop and implement a lobbying education and awareness program designed to instill in all designated individuals, lobbyists, and lobbyists' principals a keen and continuing awareness of their obligations and sensitivity to situations that might result i…

For purposes of this Chapter, the term "legislator" as defined in G.S. 120C-100(7) and the term "public servant" as defined in G.S. 138A-3(30)a. shall include an individual having filed a notice of candidacy for such office under G.S. 163-106 or Article 11 of Chapter 163 of the G…

(a) A lobbyist shall file a separate registration statement for each principal the lobbyist represents with the Secretary of State before engaging in any lobbying. It shall be unlawful for an individual to lobby without registering within one business day of engaging in any lobby…

A fee of five hundred dollars ($500.00) is due and payable to the Secretary of State at the time of each lobbyist registration. Fees so collected shall be deposited in the General Fund of the State. The fees required under this section shall be paid electronically. (1975, c. 852,…

(a) A written authorization signed by the lobbyist principal authorizing the lobbyist to represent the principal shall be filed with the Secretary of State within 20 business days after the lobbyist's registration. If the written authorization is filed more than 20 business days …

A fee of five hundred dollars ($500.00) is due and payable to the Secretary of State at the time the principal's first authorization statement is filed each calendar year for a lobbyist. Fees so collected shall be deposited in the General Fund of the State. The fees required unde…

(a) A registration of a lobbyist under G.S. 120C-200 and the written authorization of that lobbyist principal under G.S. 120C-206 are terminated upon the filing of either a lobbyist resignation or a principal termination with the Secretary of State, whichever occurs first. (b) Lo…

(a) The Secretary of State shall make available as soon as practicable the registrations of the lobbyists and liaison personnel in an electronic, searchable format. (b) The Secretary of State shall make available as soon as practicable the authorizations of the lobbyists' princip…

(a) No individual shall act as a lobbyist and receive payment for lobbying that is dependent upon the result or outcome of any legislative or executive action. (b) This section shall not apply to an individual doing business with the State who is engaged in sales with respect to …

(a) No person shall attempt to influence the action of any designated individual by the promise of financial support of the designated individual's candidacy, or by threat of financial support in opposition to the designated individual's candidacy in any future election. (b) No l…

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, no lobbyist or lobbyist principal may do any of the following: (1) Knowingly give a gift to a designated individual. (2) Knowingly give a gift with the intent that a designated individual be an ultimate recipient. (b) Subs…

(a) No legislator or former legislator may register as a lobbyist under this Article: (1) While in office. (2) Before the later of the close of session as set forth in G.S. 120C-100(a)(7)b.1 in which the legislator served or six months after leaving office. (b) No public servant …

No lobbyist or another acting on the lobbyist's behalf shall lobby by permitting a designated individual, or that designated individual's immediate family member, to use the cash or credit of the lobbyist unless the lobbyist is in attendance at the time of the reportable expendit…

(a) For purposes of this Chapter, all reportable expenditures made for lobbying shall be reported, including the following: (1) Reportable expenditures benefiting or made on behalf of a designated individual in the regular course of that designated individual's employment. (2) Re…

(a) Reports shall be filed whether or not reportable expenditures are made and shall be due 15 business days after the end of the reporting period. (b) For reportable expenditures, each report shall set forth all of the following: (1) The fair market value or face value if shown.…

(a) Each lobbyist shall file quarterly reports under oath with the Secretary of State with respect to each lobbyist principal. (b) The report shall include all of the following for the reporting period: (1) All reportable expenditures made for lobbying. (2) Repealed by Session La…

(a) Each lobbyist principal shall file quarterly reports under oath with the Secretary of State with respect to each lobbyist principal. (b) The report shall be filed whether or not reportable expenditures are made, shall be due 15 business days after the end of the reporting per…

(a) All reports filed under this Chapter shall be open to public inspection upon filing. (b) The Secretary of State shall coordinate with the State Board of elections to create a searchable Web-based database of reports filed under this Chapter and reports filed under Subchapter …

(a) All agencies and constitutional officers of the State, including all boards, departments, divisions, constituent institutions of The University of North Carolina, community colleges, and other units of government in the executive branch shall designate liaison personnel to lo…

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, this Chapter shall not apply to liaison personnel. (b) G.S. 120C-200 shall apply to liaison personnel. No registration fee shall be required for registration under this subsection. (c) Liaison personal designated under this Articl…

(a) An individual who is an employee of a governmental unit whose principal duties, in practice or as set forth in that individual's job description, include lobbying for legislative action shall register under G.S. 120C-200. (b) G.S. 120C-501 shall apply to an individual require…

(a) The Secretary of State shall perform systematic reviews of reports required to be filed under Articles 4 and 8 of this Chapter on a regular basis to assure complete and timely disclosure of reportable expenditures. The Secretary of State shall refer to the Commission any comp…

(a) The Commission may investigate complaints of violations of this Chapter and shall refer complaints related solely to Articles 2, 4, or 8 of this Chapter to the Secretary of State. (b) The Commission may petition the Superior Court of Wake County for the approval to issue subp…

(a) Whoever willfully violates any provision of Article 2 or Article 3 of this Chapter shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor, except as provided in those Articles. In addition, no lobbyist who is convicted of a violation of the provisions of this Chapter shall in any way act a…

(a) The Commission or the Secretary of State, as appropriate, may investigate complaints of violations of this Chapter and shall report apparent violations of this Chapter to the district attorney of the prosecutorial district as defined in G.S. 7A-60 of which Wake County is a pa…

Except as otherwise provided in Article 8, the provisions of this Chapter shall not be construed to apply to any of the following: (1) An individual solely engaged in expressing a personal opinion or stating facts or recommendations on legislative action or executive action to a …

(a) If a designated individual accepts a reportable expenditure made for lobbying with a total value of over two hundred dollars ($200.00) per calendar quarter from a person or group of persons acting together, exempted or not otherwise covered by this Chapter, the person, or gro…