Who is exempt from filing lobbyist disclosure forms by Chapter 3.12.058?

A. Citizen Lobbyists. Persons who lobby without compensation or with compensation or other consideration limited to reimbursement for minor incidental personal expenses, such as mileage, parking, meals, photocopying, telephone, and facsimiles, for acting as a lobbyist shall be considered citizen lobbyists and shall be exempt from registration. The exemption contained in this section is intended to permit and encourage citizens of the County to lobby any Council member or the Executive without incurring any registration or reporting obligation. Any person exempt under this section may, at his or her option, register and report under this chapter.

B. Technical Experts. It is understood that some entities or organizations may employ a specific person or persons as lobbyists. In addition, other employees of certain entities or organizations, or contracted experts, may have occasion to meet on an irregular basis with Council members or the Executive or appear before public sessions of the Council or its committees to provide information or expert testimony. Such other employees or contracted experts shall not be required to register or report under this chapter only if:

1. They restrict their activities as defined in this section to no more than six (6) days or parts thereof during any quarter. Appearing before public sessions of the Council and committees of the Council are not counted towards the six (6) days; and

2. They are not registered as a lobbyist with the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission as a representative of the same client or organization for which they are an employee or contracted technical expert.

Any person exempt under this section may, at his or her option, register and report under this chapter.

C. Governmental Officials, Officers and Employees. Except for a person or persons specifically employed or otherwise retained by a governmental agency to lobby, elected officials, officers and employees of any local, state or federal government agency acting within the scope of their representation of or employment with such agency are not required to register or report under this chapter.

D. Media Persons. News or feature reporting activities and editorial comment by working members of the press, radio or television and the publication or dissemination thereof by a newspaper, book publisher, regularly published periodical, radio station, on-line media person or television station shall be exempt from registration and reporting under this chapter. Any person exempt under this section may, at his or her option, register and report under this chapter.