Local Lobbying
Registration and reporting requirements for those engaged in lobbying on a local level in New York State initially began on April 1, 2002 (Chapter 17, Laws of 2001). Additional changes to the definition of local lobbying were made by Chapter 1, Laws of 2005, to take effect in January 2006.
"Municipality" shall mean any jurisdictional subdivision of the State, including but not limited to counties, cities, towns, villages, improvement districts and special districts, with a population of more than fifty thousand; and industrial development agencies in jurisdictional subdivisions with a population of more than fifty thousand; and public authorities, and public corporations, but shall not include school districts.
"Public official" on the local level shall mean municipal officers and employees including an officer or employee of a municipal entity, whether paid or unpaid, including members of any administrative board, commission or other agency thereof and in the case of a county, shall be deemed to also include any officer or employee paid from county funds. No person shall be deemed to be a municipal officer or employee solely by reason of being a volunteer fireman or civil defense volunteer, except a fire chief or assistant fire chief.
"Lobbying" or "Lobbying activities" on the local level are defined as any attempt to influence the passage or defeat of any local law, ordinance, resolution or regulation by any municipality or subdivision thereof or adoption or rejection of any rule, regulation, or resolution having the force and effect of local law, ordinance, resolution or regulation or any rate making proceeding by any municipality or subdivision thereof. Beginning in 2006, lobbying will also mean attempts to influence any determination:
- by a public official, or by a person or entity working in cooperation with a public official related to a governmental procurement, or by an officer or employee of the unified court system, or by a person or entity working in cooperation with an officer or employee of the unified court system related to a governmental procurement;
- the approval, disapproval, implementation or administration of tribal-state compacts, memoranda of understanding, or any other tribal-state agreements and any other state actions related to Class III gaming as provided in 25 U.S.C. § 2701, except to the extent designation of such activities as "lobbying" is barred by the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, by a public official or by a person or entity working in cooperation with a public official in relation to such approval, disapproval, implementation or administration; and
- the adoption, issuance, rescission, modification or terms of an Executive Order issued by the Chief Executive Officer of a municipality.
All forms may be found under Forms and Instructions on this web site. The Lobbyist Statement of Registration form has three (3) boxes: one for State lobbying, one for Local lobbying and one for Both. Therefore, you will indicate in one box only, for each client that you are registering what level(s) you are lobbying on for that client. All other forms, due dates, compensation, expenses etc. will remain unchanged.
If you have any questions concerning local lobbying, please contact the Commission, at 518-408-3976.
Click here for a list of municipalities that have been identified as having a population of more than fifty thousand and, therefore, are covered under the Lobbying Act.