House Rules Resolution - Lobbyist Ethics Amendments

11
HR2-4-101
HR2-4-101.2
HR2-4-101.3
HR2-4-101.4
HR5-1-101
HR5-2-101
0
House Rules Resolution - Lobbyist Ethics Amendments
2026 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Angela Romero
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This resolution modifies House rules related to lobbyist ethics.
Highlighted Provisions:
This resolution:
defines terms;
prohibits a volunteer lobbyist from certain House spaces under certain circumstances;
prohibits a lobbyist, volunteer lobbyist, or government official from:
participating in the prioritization of legislation for floor action or referral to a standing
committee; and
using a representative's, elected or appointed state official's, state employee's, or
legislative employee's identification badge; and
makes technical and conforming changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Legislative Rules Affected:
AMENDS:
HR2-4-101
HR2-4-101.2
HR2-4-101.3
HR2-4-101.4
HR5-1-101
HR5-2-101
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the state of Utah:
Section 1.
HR2-4-101
is amended to read:
HR2-4-101
. Definitions.
As used in this chapter:
(1)
"Department head" means the same as that term is defined in Utah Code Section
63A-17-807
or a department head's designee.
(2)
"Former legislator" means
a person
an individual
who is not a current member of the
Legislature, but who served in the Utah House or Utah Senate at one time.
(3)
(a)
"Guest" means an individual who is afforded access to the House space under a
provision of this chapter, who is not an individual described in Subsection
(3)(c)
or a
special guest as described under
HR2-4-101.2(5)
.
(b)
"Guest" includes:
(i)
the governor, the lieutenant governor, the state attorney general, the state treasurer,
the state auditor, and governor's staff; and
(ii)
a former legislator who is an individual described in Subsection
(3)(b)(i)
.
(c)
"Guest" does not mean a legislator, a member of House or Senate staff, a member of
professional legislative staff, a House intern,
or a lobbyist
a lobbyist, or a volunteer
lobbyist
.
(4)
"House conference rooms" means one of the conference rooms adjacent to the House
lounge, speaker's office, or the majority caucus room.
(5)
"House halls" means the passageways that allow access to:
(a)
the House chamber;
(b)
the House lounge;
(c)
the House offices; or
(d)
any other nonpublic areas adjoining the House chamber.
(6)
"House intern" means an individual who is:
(a)
an official participant in the student intern program sponsored by the Utah
Legislature and administered by the Office of Legislative Services; and
(b)
is assigned to a representative.
(7)
"House offices" means:
(a)
Representatives' offices adjacent to the House chamber;
(b)
Representatives' offices on the third and fourth floors of the capitol building;
(c)
Representatives' offices in the House building; and
(d)
kitchens, restrooms, elevators, and any auxiliary rooms in the nonpublic areas
connected with the offices listed above.
(8)
"House or Senate staff" means an individual who is employed directly by the House or
Senate.
(9)
(a)
"House space" means the House chamber, House lounge, House offices, House
halls, and House conference rooms.
(b)
"House space" does not mean the common public space outside the House chamber.
(10)
"Immediate family" means any parent, spouse, child, grandparent, grandchild,
great-grandparent, great-grandchild, sibling, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew of a member
of the House, provided that the individual is not a lobbyist
or volunteer lobbyist
.
(11)
"Lobbying" means communicating with a legislator for the purpose of influencing the
passage, defeat, amendment, or postponement of legislative action.
(12)
"Lobbyist"
means an individual who is required to register as a lobbyist by Utah Code
Section
36-11-103
means the same as that term is defined in
HR5-1-101
.
(13)
"Professional legislative staff" means an individual employed by
one of the
Legislature's profession-based staff offices, namely the Office of Legislative Research
and General Counsel, the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst, the Office of the
Legislative Auditor General, or the Office of Legislative Services
:
(a)
the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel;
(b)
the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst;
(c)
the Office of the Legislative Auditor General; or
(d)
the Office of Legislative Services
.
(14)
"Volunteer lobbyist" means the same as that term is defined in
HR5-1-101
.
Section 2.
HR2-4-101.2
is amended to read:
HR2-4-101.2
. Admittance to House floor -- Prohibition against lobbying.
(1)
Subject to the requirements of this rule, while the House is convened in annual general
session or special session, only the following individuals are permitted on the House
floor:
(a)
a legislator;
(b)
a member of House or Senate staff;
(c)
a member of professional legislative staff;
(d)
a House intern;
(e)
a former legislator who is not:
(i)
a lobbyist;
(ii)
a volunteer lobbyist;
or
(ii)
(iii)
the governor, lieutenant governor, state attorney general, state treasurer, or
state auditor;
(f)
a guest; and
(g)
a department head.
(2)
(a)
While the House is convened in annual general session or special session, a
representative may invite one guest who is not a lobbyist
or volunteer lobbyist
to
accompany the representative on the House floor, provided that:
(i)
the guest sits next to the representative;
(ii)
the representative ensures that the guest does not impede staff work, distract from
the work of the House, or encroach on a neighboring representative's desk;
(iii)
the guest complies with the requirements of this rule,
HR2-4-102
, and
HR2-4-103
;
and
(iv)
no representative objects.
(b)
A representative may have no more than one guest on the House floor at any one
time.
(c)
An individual described in Subsections
(1)(e)
through
(g)
is prohibited from lobbying
on the House floor.
(3)
While the House is convened in annual general session or special session, a lobbyist
or
volunteer lobbyist
is not permitted on the House floor.
(4)
The speaker or the speaker's designee may authorize special guests to be present in the
House chamber or on the House floor.
(5)
(a)
A representative sponsoring a piece of legislation being debated by the House
may, with the permission of the speaker, invite one department head with expertise
on the legislation to assist the sponsor during the course of debate.
(b)
A representative who invites a department head to assist the representative under
Subsection
(5)(a)
shall ensure that the department head:
(i)
does not engage in lobbying while on the House floor; and
(ii)
promptly exits the House floor when the House moves to another item of business.
Section 3.
HR2-4-101.3
is amended to read:
HR2-4-101.3
. Admittance to the House lounge.
(1)
While the House is convened in annual general session or special session only the
following individuals are permitted in the House lounge:
(a)
a legislator;
(b)
a member of House or Senate staff;
(c)
a member of professional legislative staff;
(d)
a member of the representative's immediate family;
(e)
a House intern;
(f)
a former legislator who is not:
(i)
a lobbyist;
(ii)
a volunteer lobbyist;
or
(ii)
(iii)
the governor, lieutenant governor, state attorney general, state treasurer, or
state auditor; and
(g)
a lobbyist
, volunteer lobbyist,
or guest as provided in Subsection
(2)
.
(2)
(a)
A representative may invite a small number of lobbyists
, volunteer lobbyists,
or
guests to meet with the representative in the House lounge for the purpose of
educating the lobbyists
, volunteer lobbyists,
or guests about the legislative process or
to discuss specific legislative issues.
(b)
The representative shall ensure that the lobbyists
, volunteer lobbyists,
and guests
leave the House space when the meeting is over.
Section 4.
HR2-4-101.4
is amended to read:
HR2-4-101.4
. Admittance to the House offices, conference rooms, and halls.
(1)
While the House is convened in annual general session or special session only the
following individuals are permitted in the House offices:
(a)
a legislator;
(b)
a member of House or Senate staff;
(c)
a member of professional legislative staff;
(d)
a House intern;
(e)
a member of the representative's immediate family;
(f)
a former legislator who is not:
(i)
a lobbyist;
(ii)
a volunteer lobbyist;
or
(ii)
(iii)
the governor, lieutenant governor, state attorney general, state treasurer, or
state auditor; and
(g)
a lobbyist
, volunteer lobbyist,
or guest, as provided in Subsection
(3)
.
(2)
An administrative assistant who is not a House intern is permitted in:
(a)
the office of the representative who is employing the administrative assistant;
(b)
the common areas of the House offices;
(c)
a conference room in the House space, when meeting to discuss legislative business
with a representative; and
(d)
the office of another representative with the consent of that representative.
(3)
(a)
A representative may invite a small number of lobbyists
, volunteer lobbyists,
or
guests to meet with the representative in the representative's House office or a House
conference room to discuss specific legislative issues.
(b)
The representative shall ensure that the lobbyists
, volunteer lobbyists,
and guests
leave the House space when the meeting is over.
(4)
(a)
While the House is convened as a body on the House floor, and except as
provided in Subsection
(4)(b)
, only the following individuals are allowed in the
House halls:
(i)
a legislator;
(ii)
a member of House or Senate staff;
(iii)
a member of professional legislative staff;
(iv)
a House intern;
(v)
an administrative assistant who is not a House intern; and
(vi)
a former legislator who is not:
(A)
a lobbyist;
(B)
a volunteer lobbyist;
or
(B)
(C)
the governor, lieutenant governor, state attorney general, state treasurer,
or state auditor.
(b)
Immediate family of a representative, a lobbyist,
a volunteer lobbyist,
a guest, an
administrative assistant who is not a House intern, or any other authorized individual
who is in transit to the House chamber, House lounge, or House offices may pass
through the House halls when traveling to and from an authorized destination.
(5)
An administrative assistant to a representative who is a not a House intern is not
permitted to use or be issued an access badge that grants access to the House floor,
House lounge, House offices, House conference rooms, or House hallways.
Section 5.
HR5-1-101
is amended to read:
HR5-1-101
. Definitions.
As used in this
House Rule
title
:
(1)
(a)
"Government official" means:
(i)
an individual elected to a position in state or local government when acting within
the individual's official capacity; and
(ii)
an individual appointed to or employed in a full-time or part-time position by
state or local government when acting within the scope of employment or within
the individual's official capacity.
(b)
"Government official" does not
mean
include
a member of the legislative branch of
state government.
(2)
"Lobbyist"
has the meaning identified in Utah Code Subsections
36-11-102(11)(a)
and
(b)
means an individual who is required to register as a lobbyist under Utah Code Title
36, Chapter 11, Lobbyist Disclosure and Regulation Act
.
(3)
(a)
"Volunteer lobbyist" means
a person not registered as a lobbyist who engages in
lobbying within the meaning of Utah Code Subsection
36-11-102(10)
.
an individual
who:
(i)
engages in lobbying as defined in
HR2-4-101
; and
(ii)
is not required to register as a lobbyist under Utah Code Title 36, Chapter 11,
Lobbyist Disclosure and Regulation Act.
(b)
"Volunteer lobbyist" does not
mean
include
an individual who appears on the
individual's own behalf to engage in lobbying
within the meaning of Utah Code
Subsection
36-11-102(10)
as defined in
HR2-4-101
.
Section 6.
HR5-2-101
is amended to read:
HR5-2-101
. Lobbyist code of ethics.
A lobbyist, volunteer lobbyist, or government official may not:
(1)
attempt to influence a representative, elected or appointed state official, state employee,
or legislative employee by means of deceit or by threat of violence or economic or
political reprisal against any person or property, with intent by doing so to alter or affect
the representative's, elected or appointed state official's, state employee's, or legislative
employee's decision, vote, opinion, or action concerning any matter that is to be
considered or performed by the representative, official, or employee or the agency or
body of which the representative, official, or employee is a member;
(2)
knowingly provide false information to a representative, elected or appointed state
official, state employee, or legislative employee as to any material fact pertaining to any
legislation;
(3)
knowingly omit, conceal, or falsify in any manner information required by the lobbyist
registration and lobbyist disclosure reports;
(4)
participate in committee assignments or leadership races of the House of
Representatives;
(5)
participate in the prioritization of legislation for floor action or referral to a standing
committee;
(6)
cause or influence the introduction of any piece of legislation, substitute, or amendment
for the purpose of afterwards becoming employed to secure its passage or defeat;
(6)
(7)
misappropriate or misuse legislative office supplies;
(7)
(8)
use legislative reproduction or facsimile machines without paying for that use;
(8)
(9)
enter or use a representative's, elected or appointed state official's, state employee's,
or legislative employee's office, phone, computer,
identification badge,
or parking space
without explicit permission;
(9)
(10)
attempt to remove or remove any document from any representative's or
legislative employee's office, desk, file cabinet, reproduction machine, facsimile
machine, or any other place without explicit permission;
(10)
(11)
engage in discriminatory conduct, as defined in Legislative Management
Committee Policy E -- Legislative Workplace Discrimination Prevention, toward a
representative or legislative employee;
(11)
(12)
offer employment to a representative or legislative employee that impairs the
representative's or legislative employee's independence of judgement as to their official
duties;
(12)
(13)
offer employment that would require or induce a representative or legislative
employee to disclose records classified as private, protected, or controlled;
(13)
(14)
use or disclose for personal financial gain any records classified as private,
protected, or controlled that were obtained from a representative or legislative employee
or conspire with any person for that purpose; or
(14)
(15)
induce or seek to induce a representative or legislative employee to commit a
violation of any provision of this House rule.
Section 7.
Effective Date.
This resolution takes effect upon a successful vote for final passage.
1-19-26 3:21 PM