Chap. 85.—An ACT to regulate lobbying, to regulate the employment of persons,
and the activities of persons employed, to promote or oppose legislation before
the General Assembly of Virginia and the committees and members thereof,
or either, and to provide penalties for violations of this act. [H B 14]

Approved March 10, 1938

I. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia as follows:

Section 1. As used in this act, the terms “legislative counsel’? and
“legislative agent’? shall mean any person employed to promote or op-
pose in any manner the passage by the General Assembly of any
legislation.

Section 2, Every person, corporation or association which employs
any legislative counsel or legislative agent shall, within one week after
the date of such employment, cause the name of the person so em-
ployed to be entered upon a legislative docket as hereinafter provided.
It shall also be the duty of the person so employed to enter or cause
to be entered his name upon such docket. Upon the termination of
such employment such fact may be entered opposite the name of any
person so employed either by the employer or such employee.

Section 3. The Secretary of the Commonwealth shall prepare and
keep the legislative docket for the uses provided in this act. Upon
such docket shall be entered the name, occupation or business, and
business address of the employer, the name, residence and terms of
employment and occupation of the person employed, the date of em-
ployment or argeement therefor, the length of time that the employment
is to continue, if such time can be determined, and the subject or sub-
jects of legislation to which the employment relates. Such docket shall be
a public record and open to the inspection of any citizen at any time
during the regular business hours of the office of the Secretary of the
Commonwealth.

Section 4. No person shall be employed as a legislative counsel
or legislative agent for a compensation dependent, in any manner, upon
the passage or defeat of any proposed legislation or upon any other
contingency connected with the action of the General Assembly, or of
either branch thereof, or any committee thereof.

Section 5. Every legislative counsel and every legislative agent,
whose name is required to be entered upon the legislative docket, shall
file with the Secretary of the Commonwealth within ten days after the
date of making such entry a written authorization to act as such, signed
by the person, corporation or association employing him.

Section 6. Within thirty days after the final adjournment of the
General Assembly every person, corporation or association, whose name
appears upon the legislative docket of the session, shall file with the
Secretary of the Commonwealth a complete and detailed statement,
sworn to before a notary public, or before some other officer authorized
by law to take acknowledgments to deeds, by the person making the
same, or in the case of a corporation by its president or treasurer, of
all expenses paid or incurred by such person, corporation or association,
in connection with promoting or opposing in any manner the passage
by the General Assembly of any legislation coming within the terms
of this act. Such statements shall be in such form as shall be prescribed
by the Secretary of the Commonwealth and shall be open to public
inspection.

Section 7. It shall be unlawful for any legislative counsel or
legislative agent to go upon the floor of either House of the General
Assembly while the same is in session, except upon invitation of such
House.

Section 8. The provisions of this act shall not apply to any depart-
ment, division, institution or agency of the United States or of this
State, or to any county, city or town in this State, or to any officer or
employee of the United States, or of this State, or of any county, city
or town in this State, while acting in his capacity as an officer or
employee of the United States, or of this State, or of any such
county, city or town. The provisions of this act shall also not apply
to or interfere with the furnishing of information or news to any bona
fide newspaper, journal or magazine for publication, or to any bona
fide news bureau or association which in turn furnishes said informa-
tion or news to bona fide newspapers, journals or magazines for publica-
tion, nor to any bona fide newspaper, journal or magazine, nor to the
publishers and employees thereof engaged in gathering and furnishing
information or news thereto and in editing, publishing, printing and
distributing the same.

Section 9. Any legislative counsel or legislative agent, and any
employer of such legislative counsel or legislative agent, violating any
provision of this act, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon con-
viction shall be fined not less than fifty nor more than one thousand
dollars, or be confined in jail not exceeding twelve months, or both.

2. Anemergency existing, this act shall be in force from its passage.