Rules Committee advances ordinance requiring campaign consultants to disclose lobbying contacts

The Rules Committee moved without objection to forward to the full Board an ordinance that would require registered campaign consultants to disclose lobbying contacts with officers and staff of the City and County of San Francisco.

Mister Owen, the item presenter, said the measure "plugs a loophole" in the city's ethics laws by creating a new reporting category for lobbying activities by campaign consultants and described a newly added definition of "staff person" in the draft that will guide the Ethics Commission's regulations. He said the definition is on page 3 of the draft amendment and is intended to include those who file conflict-of-interest disclosures under article 3, chapter 1 of the city's campaign and governmental conduct code.

Supervisor support for the measure was voiced during committee discussion and a member asked that the item be sent as amended with a recommendation to the full Board. The chair re-opened the item during the same meeting to accept forthcoming redline amendments and directed the city attorney to prepare changes pursuant to a memo submitted by Supervisor Maxwell's office.

Committee members took the motion without objection, meaning the ordinance will be considered by the full Board with the committee's recommendation and the planned amendments.

Next steps: the ordinance will go to the full Board as a committee report with the committee's recommended amendments; the Ethics Commission will later draft regulations implementing the "staff person" definition and reporting procedures.