GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1997

S	2 

SENATE BILL 649
Finance Committee Substitute Adopted 5/20/97

Short Title:  Lobbyist Penalty.	(Public)

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Sponsors:

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Referred to:  

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April 2, 1997

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO INCREASE THE PENALTY FOR LATE FILING OF REPORTS BY LOBBYIST AND PRINCIPAL.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  G.S. 120-47.6(d) reads as rewritten:
"(d)	When a lobbyist fails to file a lobbying expense report as required herein, the Secretary of State shall send a certified or registered letter advising the lobbyist of the delinquency and the penalties provided by law. Within 20 days of the receipt of the letter, the lobbyist shall deliver or post by United States mail to the Secretary of State the required report and an additional late filing fee of ten dollars ($10.00) a day for the first 30 days the report is late and fifty dollars ($50.00) a day for every day thereafter, not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).  A lobbyist who is assessed a late filing fee under this section may appeal to the Secretary of State within 10 days of receipt of notice of the assessment seeking a waiver of the assessment for good cause shown.  Good cause shall consist of excusable neglect, unavoidable delay, or impossibility of performance.
Filing of the required report and payment of the additional fee within the time extended shall constitute compliance with this section. Failure to file an expense report in one of the manners prescribed herein shall result in revocation of any and all registrations of a lobbyist under this Article. No lobbyist may register or reregister under this Article until he has fully complied with this section."
Section 2.  G.S. 120-47.7(d) reads as rewritten:
"(d)	When a lobbyist's principal fails to file a lobbying expense report as required herein, the Secretary of State shall send a certified or registered letter advising the lobbyist's principal of the delinquency and the penalties provided by law. Within 20 days of the receipt of the letter, the lobbyist's principal shall deliver or post by United States mail to the Secretary of State the required report and a late filing fee of ten dollars ($10.00) a day for the first 30 days the report is late and fifty dollars ($50.00) a day for every day thereafter, not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).  A lobbyist's principal who is assessed a late filing fee under this section may appeal to the Secretary of State within 10 days of receipt of notice of the assessment seeking a waiver of the assessment for good cause shown.  Good cause shall consist of excusable neglect, unavoidable delay, or impossibility of performance.
Filing of the required report and payment of the late fee within the time extended shall constitute compliance with this section."
Section 3. This act becomes effective January 1, 1999.