Wis. Stat. § 13.68 — WI Code / Chapter 13 / Section 13.68
Principal’s expense statement.
Status: in_force

(1) Statement. Every principal which is registered under s. 13.64 shall, on or before July 31 and January 31, file with the commission an expense statement covering the preceding reporting period. The statement shall be signed, under the penalty for making false statements provided in s. 13.69 (6m) , by an individual identified under s. 13.64 (1) (e) who is authorized to represent the principal. The statement shall contain the following information:

(a) The aggregate total amount of lobbying expenditures made and obligations incurred for lobbying by the principal and all lobbyists for the principal, excluding lobbying expenditures and obligations for the principal’s clerical employees, lobbying expenditures and obligations for any employee of the principal who is not a lobbyist and who devotes not more than 10 hours to lobbying during a reporting period, and lobbying expenditures and obligations specified in pars. (b) , (d) and (e) . With respect to expenditures and obligations included in the amount reported under this paragraph:

1. Lobbying expenditures made and obligations incurred for lobbying shall include compensation to lobbyists for lobbying, whether in cash or in-kind, and reimbursements to lobbyists and to the principal or officers or employees of the principal for lobbying or expenses.

2. Except as provided in subd. 3. , lobbying expenditures made and obligations incurred in preparing for lobbying shall be included in the aggregate total.

3. A reasonable estimate of lobbying expenditures made and obligations incurred for conducting, compiling or preparing research, information, statistics, studies or analyses used in lobbying shall be included in the aggregate total. Lobbying expenditures and obligations shall not be reported under this subdivision if the use in lobbying occurs more than 3 years after the completion of the research or the compilation or preparation of the information, statistics, studies or analyses. If the research, information, statistics, studies or analyses are used by the principal both for lobbying and for purposes other than lobbying, the principal shall allocate the lobbying expenditures and obligations among the purposes for which the research, information, statistics, studies or analyses are used and include the portion allocated to lobbying in the aggregate total.

4. Lobbying expenditures made and obligations incurred for providing or using research, information, statistics, studies or analyses in lobbying shall be included in the aggregate total.

5. Lobbying expenditures made and obligations incurred for paid advertising and any other activities conducted for the purpose of urging members of the general public to attempt to influence legislative or administrative action shall be included in the aggregate total, if the total amount of all such lobbying expenditures made and obligations incurred exceeds $500 during the reporting period.

6. If the total amount of lobbying expenditures and obligations, included in the aggregate total under this paragraph, made or incurred to any lobbyist for the principal exceeds $200 during the reporting period, the name and address of the lobbyist and the total amount of the lobbying expenditures made or obligations incurred to the lobbyist during the reporting period shall be listed.

(b) If a lobbyist is an employee, officer or director of a principal and the lobbyist is paid a salary or given consideration other than reimbursement of expenses, the aggregate total amount of lobbying expenditures made or obligations incurred by the principal for office space, utilities, supplies and compensation of employees who are utilized in preparing for lobbying communications. Any lobbying expenditures made or obligations incurred for office overhead costs which are included in the amount reported under par. (a) 1. shall not be included in the amounts reported under this paragraph.

(bn) For each legislative proposal, proposed administrative rule, budget bill subject or other topic that accounts for 10 percent or more of the principal’s time spent in lobbying during the reporting period, the principal’s reasonable estimate of the proportion of its time spent in lobbying associated with that legislative proposal, proposed administrative rule, budget bill subject or other topic.

(c) A record disclosing the amount of time spent to influence legislative or administrative action. The record shall be supplied on a form provided by the commission and shall include a daily itemization of the time, except the time of a clerical employee, the time of an employee who is not a lobbyist and who devotes not more than 10 hours to lobbying during a reporting period and the time of an unpaid volunteer, spent by the principal on:

1. Meeting with elective state officials, agency officials, legislative employees of the state and other state employees having decision-making authority.

2. Research, preparation and any other activity which includes lobbying.

(cm) The name of any employee of the principal, other than a clerical employee, who is not a lobbyist and who devoted time to lobbying communications during the reporting period.

(d) The name of any agency official, legislative employee, elective state official, or candidate for elective state office to whom the principal or any lobbyist for the principal provided reimbursement authorized under s. 13.621 (7) (a) and the date and amount reimbursed.

(e) The total lobbying expenditures made and obligations incurred for personal travel and living expenses, except for expenditures made or obligations incurred for the travel and living expenses of unpaid volunteers if the primary purpose of the travel is for reasons unrelated to lobbying.

(2) Reporting procedure.

(a) If the principal compensates or reimburses a lobbyist or employee both for lobbying activities or expenses which are not exempt under s. 13.621 and for other activities or expenses, for the purposes of sub. (1) (a) 1. or 6. , the lobbyist or principal shall estimate and report the portion of the compensation and reimbursements paid for nonexempt lobbying activities or expenses or, if 85 percent or more of the total compensation and reimbursements paid to the lobbyist or employee relate to lobbying or expenses which are not exempt under s. 13.621 , the lobbyist or principal may report the entire amount of the compensation and reimbursements paid to the lobbyist or employee.

(b) Any reasonable estimate or allocation made in good faith under sub. (1) (a) 3. or (bn) or this subsection fulfills the requirements of this section.

(c) A principal may employ any reasonable method, acting in good faith, to record daily the information required under sub. (1) (c) .

(3) Exempt activities. Lobbying expenditures made and obligations incurred for activities identified under s. 13.621 (1) (a) to (f) and (3) are not required to be reported under sub. (1) , regardless of whether the principal or a lobbyist for the principal also engages in lobbying activities which are not identified in s. 13.621 (1) (a) to (f) and (3) .

(4) Reports by lobbyist. A lobbyist whose activities and expenditures are required to be reported by a principal under sub. (1) shall provide to the principal information which the principal determines is needed to prepare the statement. The principal shall file a copy of the information, signed by the lobbyist under the penalty for making false statements provided in s. 13.69 (6m) , with the commission at the time of filing the statement under sub. (1) .

(5) Records. Each principal and each lobbyist engaged by a principal shall obtain, organize and preserve all accounts, bills, receipts, books, papers and other documents necessary to substantiate the expense statement, including an account identifying the amount of time that a principal and each of its authorized lobbyists spend on lobbying each day, for 3 years after the date of filing the expense statement. A principal may permit its authorized lobbyist to maintain any of the records identified in this subsection on its behalf.

(6) Suspension for failure to file a complete expense statement. If a principal fails to timely file a complete expense statement under this section, the commission may suspend the privilege of any lobbyist to lobby on behalf of the principal. Upon failure of a principal to file the required expense statement, the commission shall provide written notice by the most efficient means available to the principal and to any lobbyist for whom a written authorization has been filed under s. 13.65 to act as a lobbyist for the principal informing them that unless the principal files the delinquent statement within 10 business days after the date on which the commission provided notice, no lobbyist may lobby on behalf of the principal. The commission shall immediately restore the privilege of any lobbyist to lobby on behalf of the principal upon the filing of the delinquent statement by the principal. The commission may send the notice by certified mail to the last-known addresses of the principal and lobbyist or may send the notice electronically to the last-known electronic mail address of the principal and lobbyist. Any principal or lobbyist who is aggrieved by a suspension of lobbying privileges under this subsection may request a hearing under s. 227.42 regarding the suspension.

History: 1977 c. 278 ; 1989 a. 338 ss. 19 , 27 to 32 ; 1997 a. 186 ; 1999 a. 9 ; 2015 a. 118 s. 266 (10) ; 2021 a. 266 .