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To: Accountability,
Efficiency, Transparency
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Senator(s) Tate
SENATE BILL NO. 2405
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTIONS 5-8-3 AND 5-8-5, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1
1972, TO REQUIRE REGISTERED LOBBYISTS TO INCLUDE IN ANNUAL 2
REGISTRATION STATEMENTS WHETHER THE LOBBYIST'S CLIENT IS A FOREIGN 3
PRINCIPAL OF A FOREIGN ADVERSARY AND TO PROVIDE DEFINITIONS; AND 4
FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 5
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 6
SECTION 1. Section 5-8-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 7
amended as follows: 8
5-8-3. The following words and phrases shall have the 9
meanings ascribed herein unless the context clearly indicates 10
otherwise: 11
(a) (i) "Anything of value" means: 12
1. A pecuniary item, including money, or a 13
bank bill or note; 14
2. A promissory note, bill of exchange, 15
order, draft, warrant, check or bond given for the payment of 16
money; 17
3. A contract, agreement, promise or other 18
obligation for an advance, conveyance, forgiveness of 19
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indebtedness, deposit, distribution, loan, payment, gift, pledge 20
or transfer of money; 21
4. A stock, bond, note or other investment 22
interest in an entity; 23
5. A receipt given for the payment of money 24
or other property; 25
6. A right in action; 26
7. A gift, tangible good, chattel or an 27
interest in a gift, tangible good or chattel; 28
8. A loan or forgiveness of indebtedness; 29
9. A work of art, antique or collectible; 30
10. An automobile or other means of personal 31
transportation; 32
11. Real property or an interest in real 33
property, including title to realty, a fee simple or partial 34
interest, present or future, contingent or vested within realty, a 35
leasehold interest, or other beneficial interest in realty; 36
12. An honorarium or compensation for 37
services; 38
13. A rebate or discount in the price of 39
anything of value, unless the rebate or discount is made in the 40
ordinary course of business to a member of the public without 41
regard to that person's status as an executive, legislative or 42
public official or public employee, or the sale or trade of 43
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something for reasonable compensation that would ordinarily not be 44
available to a member of the public; 45
14. A promise or offer of employment; 46
15. Any other thing of value that is 47
pecuniary or compensatory in value to a person, except as 48
otherwise provided in subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph; or 49
16. A payment that directly benefits an 50
executive, legislative or public official or public employee or a 51
member of that person's immediate family. 52
(ii) "Anything of value" does not mean: 53
1. Informational material such as books, 54
reports, pamphlets, calendars or periodicals informing an 55
executive, legislative or public official or public employee 56
of * * * his or her official duties; 57
2. A certificate, plaque or other 58
commemorative item which has little pecuniary value; 59
3. Food and beverages for immediate 60
consumption provided by a lobbyist up to a value of Ten Dollars 61
($10.00) in the aggregate during any calendar year; 62
4. Campaign contributions reported in 63
accordance with Section 23-15-801 et seq., Mississippi Code of 64
1972. 65
(b) "Commission" means the Mississippi Ethics 66
Commission, when used in the context of Section 5-8-19. 67
(c) "Compensation" means: 68
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(i) An advance, conveyance, forgiveness of 69
indebtedness, deposit, distribution, loan, payment, gift, pledge 70
or transfer of money or anything of value, including reimbursement 71
of travel, food or lodging costs; or 72
(ii) A contract, agreement, promise or other 73
obligation for an advance, conveyance, forgiveness of 74
indebtedness, deposit, distribution, loan, payment, gift, pledge 75
or transfer of money or anything of value, including reimbursement 76
of travel, food or lodging costs, for services rendered or to be 77
rendered. 78
(d) "Executive action" means the proposal, drafting, 79
development, consideration, amendment, adoption, approval, 80
promulgation, issuance, modification, rejection or postponement by 81
a state or local governmental entity of a rule, regulation, order, 82
decision, determination or other quasi-legislative action or 83
proceeding. 84
(e) "Executive agency" means: 85
(i) An agency, board, commission, governing 86
authority or other body in the executive branch of state or local 87
government; or 88
(ii) An independent body of state or local 89
government that is not a part of the legislative or judicial 90
branch, but which shall include county boards of supervisors. 91
(f) "Executive official" means: 92
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(i) A member or employee of a state agency, board, 93
commission, governing authority or other body in the executive 94
branch of state or local government; or 95
(ii) A public official or public employee, or any 96
employee of such person, of state or local government who takes an 97
executive action. 98
(g) "Expenditure" means: 99
(i) A purchase, payment, distribution, loan, 100
forgiveness of a loan or payment of a loan by a third party, 101
advance, deposit, transfer of funds, a promise to make a payment, 102
or a gift of money or anything of value for any purpose; 103
(ii) A payment to a lobbyist for salary, fee, 104
commission, compensation for expenses, or other purpose by a 105
person employing, retaining or contracting for the services of the 106
lobbyist separately or jointly with other persons; 107
(iii) A payment in support of or assistance to a 108
lobbyist or the lobbyist's activities, including the direct 109
payment of expenses incurred at the request or suggestion of the 110
lobbyist; 111
(iv) A payment that directly benefits an 112
executive, legislative or public official or a member of the 113
official's immediate family; 114
(v) A payment, including compensation, payment or 115
reimbursement for the services, time or expenses of an employee 116
for or in connection with direct communication with an executive, 117
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legislative or public official made at the direction of the 118
employee's employer; 119
(vi) A payment for or in connection with 120
soliciting or urging other persons to enter into direct 121
communication with an executive, legislative or public official; 122
or 123
(vii) A payment or reimbursement for food, 124
beverages, travel, lodging, entertainment or sporting activities. 125
(h) "Foreign Adversary" means a foreign government or 126
foreign nongovernment persons who have been designated as a 127
foreign adversary by the United States Secretary of Commerce. 128
(i) "Foreign Principal" means: 129
(i) A government official or the government of a 130
foreign adversary; or 131
(ii) A political party or member of a political 132
party or any subdivision of a political party in a foreign 133
adversary; or 134
(iii) A partnership, association, corporation, 135
organization or other combination of persons organized under the 136
laws of or having its principal place of business in a foreign 137
adversary, or a subsidiary of such entity; or 138
(iv) Any person who is domiciled in a foreign 139
adversary and is not a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the 140
United States; or 141
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(v) Any person, entity, or collection of persons 142
or entities, described in paragraphs (a) through (d) having a 143
controlling interest in a partnership, association, corporation, 144
organization trust, or other legal entity or subsidiary. 145
( * * *j) "Gift" means anything of value to the extent 146
that consideration of equal or greater value is not received, 147
including a rebate or discount in the price of anything of value 148
unless the rebate or discount is made in the ordinary course of 149
business to a member of the public without regard to that person's 150
status as an executive, legislative or public official. 151
( * * *k) "Legislative action" means: 152
(i) Preparation, research, drafting, introduction, 153
consideration, modification, amendment, approval, passage, 154
enactment, tabling, postponement, defeat or rejection of a bill, 155
resolution, amendment, motion, report, nomination, appointment or 156
other matter by the Mississippi State Legislature or a member or 157
employee of the Legislature acting or purporting to act in an 158
official capacity; 159
(ii) Action by the Governor in approving or 160
vetoing a bill or other action of the Legislature; 161
(iii) Action by the Legislature in: 162
1. Overriding or sustaining a veto by the 163
Governor; or 164
2. Considering, confirming or rejecting an 165
executive appointment of the Governor. 166
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( * * *l) "Legislative official" means: 167
(i) A member, member-elect or presiding officer of 168
the Legislature; 169
(ii) A member of a commission or other entity 170
established by and responsible to either or both houses of the 171
Legislature; 172
(iii) A staff member, officer or employee to a 173
member or member-elect of the Legislature, to a member of a 174
commission or other entity established by and responsible to 175
either or both houses of the Legislature, or to the Legislature or 176
any house, committee or office thereof. 177
( * * *m) "Lobbying" means: 178
(i) Influencing or attempting to influence 179
legislative or executive action through oral or written 180
communication; or 181
(ii) Solicitation of others to influence 182
legislative or executive action; or 183
(iii) Paying or promising to pay anything of value 184
directly or indirectly related to legislative or executive action. 185
( * * *n) "Lobbyist" means: 186
(i) An individual who is employed and receives 187
payments, or who contracts for economic consideration, including 188
reimbursement for reasonable travel and living expenses, for the 189
purpose of lobbying; 190
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(ii) An individual who represents a legislative or 191
public official or public employee, or who represents a person, 192
organization, association or other group, for the purpose of 193
lobbying; 194
(iii) A sole proprietor, owner, part owner or 195
shareholder in a business who has a pecuniary interest in 196
legislative or executive action, who engages in lobbying 197
activities; or 198
(iv) Any individual described in subparagraphs 199
(i), (ii) or (iii) of this paragraph (l) who is employed by or has 200
contracted with any agency, legislative or public official or 201
public employee, or any other public entity for the purpose of 202
providing any type of consulting or other similar service but also 203
engages in any type of lobbying activities. Such individual shall 204
not qualify for any exemption under Section 5-8-7. 205
( * * *o) "Lobbyist's client" means the person in whose 206
behalf the lobbyist influences or attempts to influence 207
legislative or executive action. 208
( * * *p) "Local" means all entities of government at 209
the county, county-district, multicounty district, municipal or 210
school district level. 211
( * * *q) "Person" means an individual, proprietorship, 212
firm, partnership, joint venture, joint-stock company, syndicate, 213
business trust, estate, company, corporation, association, club, 214
committee, organization or group of persons acting in concert. 215
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( * * *r) "Public employee" means an individual 216
appointed to a position, including a position created by statute, 217
whether compensated or not, in state or local government and 218
includes any employee of the public employee. The term includes a 219
member of the board of trustees, chancellor, vice chancellor or 220
the equivalent thereof in the state university system or the state 221
community and junior college system, and a president of a state 222
college or university. 223
( * * *s) "Public official" means an individual elected 224
to a state or local office, or an individual who is appointed to 225
fill a vacancy in the office. 226
( * * *t) "Value" means the retail cost or fair market 227
worth of an item or items, whichever is greater. 228
SECTION 2. Section 5-8-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 229
amended as follows: 230
5-8-5. (1) Except as otherwise provided in Section 5-8-7 of 231
this chapter and in addition to reports required by Sections 5-8-9 232
and 5-8-11 of this chapter, every lobbyist and every lobbyist's 233
client shall file a registration statement with the Secretary of 234
State within five (5) calendar days after becoming a lobbyist, 235
becoming a lobbyist's client or beginning to lobby for a new 236
client. The filing of every registration statement shall be 237
accompanied by the payment of a registration fee of Twenty-five 238
Dollars ($25.00) to the Secretary of State. The lobbyist shall 239
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file the registration statement and pay the fees to the Secretary 240
of State for each lobbyist's client whom the lobbyist represents. 241
(2) The registration statement shall include the following: 242
(a) The name, address, occupation and telephone number 243
of the lobbyist; 244
(b) The name, address, telephone number and principal 245
place of business of the lobbyist's client; 246
(c) The kind of business of the lobbyist's client; 247
(d) The full name of the person or persons who control 248
the lobbyist's client, the partners, if any, and officers of the 249
lobbyist's client; 250
(e) The full name, address and telephone number of each 251
lobbyist employed by or representing the lobbyist's client; * * * 252
(f) Whether the client that the lobbyist is 253
representing is a foreign principal of a foreign adversary, and, 254
if so, the name of the foreign adversary; and 255
( * * *g) A statement or statements by the lobbyist and 256
lobbyist's client indicating the specific nature of the issues 257
being advocated for or against on behalf of the lobbyist's client, 258
with sufficient detail so that the precise nature of the 259
lobbyist's advocacy is evident from the statement itself. 260
(3) Registration shall be valid for one (1) calendar year, 261
commencing January 1 and ending December 31 of each year. If the 262
lobbyist or lobbyist's client shall register after January 1, the 263
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ST: Registered lobbyists; require disclosure of
representation of foreign adversary client.
registration shall be effective upon actual receipt by the 264
Secretary of State and shall cease on December 31 of each year. 265
(4) A lobbyist or lobbyist's client may terminate his or her 266
registration by filing an expenditure report required under this 267
chapter. Such report shall include information through the last 268
day of lobbying activity. The termination report must indicate 269
that the lobbyist intends to use the report as the final 270
accounting of lobbying activity. 271
(5) The Secretary of State shall prescribe and make 272
available to every lobbyist and lobbyist's client appropriate 273
forms for filing registration statements as required by Sections 274
5-8-1 through 5-8-19 of this chapter. 275
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from 276
and after July 1, 2026. 277