Officials Back H 686 to Expand Disclosure for Lobbying Advertisements

Leslie Wilkes, who identified herself as chair of the campaign finance committee in the Attorney General's Office, told the Government Operations & Military Affairs committee that her office supports H 686, "In short, we support the bill," arguing the change would increase transparency in political advertising and simplify compliance.

Wilkes said the bill removes a time-based test that has required lobbyists and regulators to determine whether an ad falls inside or outside a legislative biennium. "It takes away that time requirement... it just sort of reduces the questions that one needs to ask," she said, saying the change would make it easier to determine when a disclosure is required and to assess potential violations.

Wilkes also urged aligning investigative and enforcement tools across campaign finance, elections and lobbying statutes. She noted campaign finance enforcement includes confidentiality protections that encourage cooperation and recommended adding similar statutory confidentiality language to the lobbying chapter to "incentivize more robust responses." She cited the relevant chapters as Title 17, Chapter 61 (campaign finance); Title 17, Chapter 35 (offenses against purity of elections); and Title 2, Chapter 11 (lobbying).

Shan, elections director at the Secretary of State's Office, told the committee his office "supports any improvements on... transparency and this bill does provide that greater transparency." He added the bill should not alter existing gift rules and pointed to Title 2, Section 266, which distinguishes treatment of lobbyist gifts during session versus outside session. Shan said contributions made outside the legislative session would continue to be reported in both the lobbying information system and the campaign finance system when they meet the reporting threshold.

Representative Bismol questioned how the bill would define the advertising subject to disclosure. Shan directed the committee to the definitions in Title 2, Chapter 11, Section 261, saying the change would apply to anyone who meets the statutory definitions of lobbyist or lobbying activity.

The committee asked staff to take the offices' feedback, reconcile it with previous presentations and the NRC's comments, and prepare an updated draft for next week. No formal motion or vote on H 686 was recorded during this session. The committee recessed for lunch and said it would reconvene at 1:00 p.m. for additional testimony and review of a Burlington city charter item.