HB1169 amends the Illinois Lobbyist Registration Act to create a registration-fee waiver for certain nonprofit lobbyists. Specifically, the bill directs the Secretary of State to waive the annual $300 lobbyist registration fee for any not-for-profit entity that is tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and has an annual budget of less than $5 million. The waiver would also apply to any lobbyist who exclusively lobbies on behalf of such an eligible nonprofit.
The bill does not change the core registration, disclosure, or reporting requirements for lobbyists. Those requirements remain in place, including annual registration, disclosure of clients and lobbying subjects, public posting of filings, and the sexual harassment policy certification. Its main effect is financial: it reduces or eliminates the registration cost for smaller charitable organizations and their dedicated lobbyists.
Impact
HB1169 would amend Section 5 of the Lobbyist Registration Act, changing the fee provisions for registrants while leaving the rest of the lobbying disclosure framework intact. The practical impact is to exempt qualifying 501(c)(3) nonprofits with budgets under $5 million, and lobbyists who only represent them, from paying the annual registration fee. This would reduce compliance costs for eligible charitable, social service, educational, and community-based organizations that engage in lobbying activities in Illinois.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears generally supportive of nonprofit advocacy by lowering a financial barrier to registration. The bill caption and synopsis frame it as a targeted fee exemption for 501(c)(3) organizations, suggesting a policy goal of easing burdens on smaller charitable entities rather than broadly changing lobbying regulation. No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no documented opposition or support beyond the bill’s introduced purpose.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is the scope of the fee waiver: it applies only to tax-exempt 501(c)(3) entities with annual budgets below $5 million, which may raise questions about where to draw the line between small nonprofits and larger organizations that also engage in public policy advocacy. Another possible issue is whether exempting nonprofit lobbyists from the fee creates unequal treatment compared with other registrants who must still pay the annual $300 fee. No specific objections, amendments, or recorded debate are available in the provided materials.
Public employees and officers: ethics; lobbyists or lobbyist agents giving or purchasing food or beverages for legislators; prohibit. Amends secs. 3, 5, 8, 9 & 11 of 1978 PA 472 (MCL 4.413 et seq.).
A concurrent resolution relating to the joint rules governing lobbyists of the Senate and House of Representatives for the Ninety-first General Assembly.(Formerly SSB 1021.)
A concurrent resolution relating to the joint rules governing lobbyists of the Senate and House of Representatives for the Ninety-first General Assembly.(See HCR 4.)
A concurrent resolution relating to the joint rules governing lobbyists of the Senate and House of Representatives for the Ninety-first General Assembly.(See SCR 1.)