An Act To Strengthen the Restrictions Governing Lobbying by Former Legislators and Former Executive Branch Officials (AFTER DEADLINE)
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1591
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: FARRIN
Amends: 1 MRSA §1024, 3 MRSA §318-A, 3 MRSA §318-B

Legislative Document
No. 1591
H.P. 1095
House of Representatives, May 9, 2017
An Act To Strengthen the Restrictions Governing Lobbying by 
Former Legislators and Former Executive Branch Officials
(AFTER DEADLINE)
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
205.
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative FARRIN of Norridgewock.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  1 MRSA §1024, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 129, §2, is amended to 
read: 
1.  Actions precluded.  Beginning with the convening of the 127th Legislature, a 
person who has served as a Legislator may not engage in activities that would require 
registration as a lobbyist or lobbyist associate lobbying as defined by Title 3, section 
312-A, subsections 10 and 10-A, respectively, subsection 9 until one year after that 
person's term as a Legislator ends.  This subsection may not be construed to prohibit 
uncompensated lobbying by a former Legislator during the one-year period following the 
end of that Legislator's most recent term in office or to prohibit lobbying as a legislative 
designee as defined in Title 3, section 312-A, subsection 8-A. 
Sec. 2.  1 MRSA §1024, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 129, §2, is amended to 
read: 
3.  Penalty.  A person who intentionally violates this section is subject to a civil 
penalty not to exceed $1,000, payable to the State and recoverable in a civil action. 
Sec. 3.  3 MRSA §318-A, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 288, §1, is repealed. 
Sec. 4.  3 MRSA §318-B is enacted to read: 
§318-B.  Waiting period before engaging in lobbying activities 
1.  Actions precluded.  A person may not engage in lobbying if that person has 
within the previous 12 months been employed in a position for which the salary is subject 
to adjustment by the Governor under Title 2, section 6 or that is described as a major 
policy-influencing position under Title 5, chapter 71. 
2.  Complaints and investigations.  A person may file a complaint with the 
commission specifying an alleged violation of this section.  The commission staff shall 
notify the party against whom the complaint has been filed and may undertake an 
investigation of the alleged violation if directed by the commission.  The commission 
may direct commission staff to undertake an investigation of an alleged violation of this 
section on its own motion. 
3.  Penalty.  A person who violates this section is subject to a civil penalty not to 
exceed $1,000, payable to the State and recoverable in a civil action. 
Sec. 5.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect January 1, 2018. 
SUMMARY 
Current law allows former Legislators and certain former executive-level state 
employees to engage in compensated lobbying for up to 8 hours per calendar month for 
the first year after leaving office or employment.  This bill prohibits all compensated 
lobbying by such persons during that period of time.