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Sponsor shifts proposal to disclosure and registration for lobbyists working for foreign entities amid enforcement concerns
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Summary
An amendment was presented to require registration and disclosure when lobbyists represent foreign governments, parties or foreign‑owned companies (20% ownership threshold). The Attorney General’s office warned it lacks staffing to enforce a broad new regime; the committee signaled it may remove penalties and route detailed enforcement to a later committee.
The committee reviewed amendment 1496 to require registration and greater disclosure for lobbyists who represent foreign governments, foreign political parties, or companies with significant foreign ownership. The sponsor said the change replaces an earlier 'ban' approach and focuses on disclosure so the public knows who is being paid to lobby.
Members queried how a 20% ownership threshold would be verified and noted that ownership percentages can change midyear. Tom Prasal of Demers Praesol & Thomas (speaker 18), representing Lenovo, urged the committee to send the proposal to interim study because the drafting raises practical questions about timing, reporting cadence and compliance across many jurisdictions.
Brandon Garad of the Attorney General’s Office (speaker 13) said the AG’s Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau had not seen the amendment until shortly before the hearing and warned that the office does not have the current resources to carry out broad investigations or enforcement the draft contemplates; adding AG enforcement language or penalties would trigger the need for additional staff and investigative capacity. Committee members discussed modifying reporting frequency and removing criminal penalties at this stage, and one proposal under consideration was to make registration the primary requirement while deferring enforcement mechanics to later review.
