Maryland Public Ethics Law - Regulated Lobbyists - Reporting Requirements

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1360*

HOUSE BILL 1360
G2 6lr2853
HB 1542/25 – HRU
By: Delegates Lehman, Ruth, Stewart, Terrasa, and Wu
Introduced and read first time: February 13, 2026
Assigned to: Government, Labor, and Elections

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Maryland Public Ethics Law – Regulated Lobbyists – Reporting Requirements 2

FOR the purpose of altering the dates by which a regulated lobbyist must file a certain 3
report to the State Ethics Commission; altering the contents of the report; and 4
generally relating to reporting requirements for regulated lobbyists. 5

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 6
Article – General Provisions 7
Section 5–101(x) and 5–702(a) 8
Annotated Code of Maryland 9
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 10

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 11
Article – General Provisions 12
Section 5–705(a) and (b) 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 15

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17

Article – General Provisions 18

5–101. 19

(x) “Lobbying” means performing any act that requires registration under § 20
5–702 of this title. 21

5–702. 22

2 HOUSE BILL 1360

(a) Unless exempted under subsection (b) of this section, an entity shall register 1
with the Ethics Commission as provided in this subtitle and shall be a regulated lobbyist 2
for the purposes of this title if, during a reporting period, the entity: 3

(1) for the purpose of influencing any legislative action or any executive 4
action relating to the development or adoption of regulations or the development or 5
issuance of an executive order: 6

(i) 1. communicates with an official or employee of the 7
Legislative Branch or Executive Branch in the presence of that official or employee; and 8

2. except for the personal travel or subsistence expenses of 9
the entity or a representative of the entity, incurs expenses of at least $500 or earns at least 10
$2,500 as compensation for all such communication and activities relating to the 11
communication during the reporting period; or 12

(ii) 1. communicates with an official or employee of the 13
Legislative Branch or Executive Branch; and 14

2. earns at least $5,00 0 as compensation for all such 15
communication and activities relating to the communication during the reporting period; 16

(2) in connection with or for the purpose of influencing any executive 17
action, spends a cumulative value of at least $100 for gifts, including meals, beverages, and 18
special events, to one or more officials or employees of the Executive Branch; 19

(3) subject to subsection (b)(4) of this section, is compensated to influence 20
executive action on a procurement contract that exceeds $100,000; 21

(4) subject to subsection (b)(5) of this section, is compensated by a business 22
entity to influence executive action to secure from the State a business grant or loan with 23
a value of more than $100,000 for the business entity; 24

(5) spends at least $2,000, including expenditures for salaries, contractual 25
employees, postage, telecommunications services, electronic services, advertising, printing, 26
and delivery services, for the express purpose of soliciting others to communicate with an 27
official to influence legislative action or executive action; or 28

(6) spends at least $2,500 to provide compensation to one or more entities 29
required to register under this subsection. 30

5–705. 31

(a) (1) A regulated lobbyist shall file electronically with the Ethics 32
Commission, under oath and for each registration, a separate report concerning the 33
regulated lobbyist’s lobbying activities: 34

HOUSE BILL 1360 3

(I) BY FEBRUARY 15 EACH YEAR, TO COVER THE PERIOD FROM 1
NOVEMBER 1 OF THE IMMEDIATELY P RECEDING YEAR THROUG H JANUARY 31 OF 2
THE CURRENT YEAR, BOTH INCLUSIVE; 3

(II) BY MARCH 15 EACH YEAR , TO COVER THE PERIOD FROM 4
FEBRUARY 1 THROUGH THE LAST DAY OF FEBRUARY OF THAT YEAR , BOTH 5
INCLUSIVE; 6

[(i)] (III) by May 31 of each year, to cover the period from 7
[November] MARCH 1 [of the previous year] through April 30 of [the current] THAT year, 8
BOTH INCLUSIVE; and 9

[(ii)] (IV) by November 30 of each year, to cover the period from May 10
1 through October 31 of that year, BOTH INCLUSIVE. 11

(2) If the regulated lobbyist is not an individual, an authorized officer or 12
agent of the regulated lobbyist shall sign the report. 13

(3) If a prorated amount is reported as compensation, it shall be labeled as 14
prorated. 15

(b) A report required by this section shall include: 16

(1) a complete, current stateme nt of the information required under § 17
5–704(b) of this subtitle; 18

(2) total expenditures in connection with influencing executive action or 19
legislative action in each of the following categories: 20

(i) total individual regulated lobbyist compensation , excluding 21
expenses reported under this paragraph; 22

(ii) office expenses of the regulated lobbyist; 23

(iii) professional and technical research and assistance; 24

(iv) publications that expressly encourage communication with one 25
or more officials or employees; 26

(v) witnesses, including the name of each and the fees and expenses 27
paid to each; 28

(vi) except as otherwise reported under this paragraph, meals and 29
beverages for officials, employees, or members of the immediate families of officials or 30
employees; 31

4 HOUSE BILL 1360

(vii) except as provided in § 5 –709(d)(2) of this subtitle, food, 1
beverages, and incidental expenses for officials of the Legislative Branch for meals and 2
receptions to which all members of any legislative unit were invited; 3

(viii) food and beverages for members of the General Assembly at the 4
times and geographic locations of meetings of legislative organizations, as allowed under § 5
5–505(c)(2)(i)4 of this title; 6

(ix) food, lodging, and scheduled entertainment for officials and 7
employees at meetings at which the officials and employees were scheduled speakers or 8
scheduled panel participants; 9

(x) tickets and free admission extended to members of the General 10
Assembly, as a courtesy or ceremony to the office, to attend charitable, cultural, or political 11
events sponsored or conducted by the reporting entity, as allowed under § 5 –505(c)(2)(viii) 12
of this title; 13

(xi) other gifts to or for officials, employees, or members of the 14
immediate families of officials or employees; and 15

(xii) other expenses; [and] 16

(3) as to expenditures reported in item (2)(vii), (viii), (ix), and (x) of this 17
subsection, the date, location, and total expense of the regulated lobbyist for each meal, 18
reception, event, or meeting; AND 19

(4) A LIST OF EACH M ATTER ON WHICH THE R EGULATED LOBBYIST 20
PERFORMED LOBBYING ACTIVITY, INCLUDING: 21

(I) A DESCRIPTION OF THE LOBBYIST’S POSITION ON EACH 22
MATTER; AND 23

(II) EACH BILL NUMBER OR A DESCRIPTION OF EAC H 24
LEGISLATIVE ACTION ON WHICH THE LOBBYIST PERFORMED LOBBYING ACTIVITY. 25

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 26
October 1, 2026. 27