CHAPTER 57. EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION
AND REPORTINGSec.
57.1. General rule.
57.2. Qualifications for exemption.§ 57.1. General rule.
(a) Unless specified in § 57.2 (relating to qualifications for exemption), a person, principal, lobbying firm or lobbyist that qualifies for any exemption under § 57.2 will not be required to register or report with respect to any activity covered by the exemption. However, if an individual does not qualify for an exemption in § 57.2(a), then the activity described in the exemption shall be included within the reports otherwise required by the act.
(b) Upon losing exempt status, a person, principal, lobbying firm or lobbyist is immediately subject to the registration and reporting requirements of the act.
(c) Upon losing exempt status, a principal is not required to retroactively file reports for previous quarterly reporting periods in which the exemption applied.
(d) Upon losing exempt status, a lobbying firm or lobbyist is not required to retroactively sign or file reports for previous quarterly reporting periods in which the exemption applied.
§ 57.2. Qualifications for exemption.
(a) Exemption from registration. The following persons and activities shall be exempt from registration under section 13A04 of the act (relating to registration) and reporting under section 13A05 of the act (relating to reporting):
(1) The exemption in section 13A06(1) of the act (relating to exemption from registration and reporting) is limited to an individual or entity whose only lobbying activities consist of preparing testimony and testifying before a committee of the General Assembly or participating in an agency administrative proceeding. Participating in an administrative proceeding includes, but is not limited to, preparing and delivering comments on regulations or preparing and delivering comments at agency advisory committee meetings. To the extent an individual or entity, which is otherwise required to register and report under the act, engages in those activities, the individual or entity does not qualify for the exemption under this subsection.
(2) The exemption in section 13A06(2) of the act is limited to an individual or entity which is engaged in the business of publishing or broadcasting, regardless of the medium used, while engaged in the gathering and dissemination of news and comment on the news to the general public in the ordinary course of business. The term ‘‘individual’’ in this subsection includes employees and independent contractors.
(i) To qualify for this exemption, the individual or entity shall satisfy all of the following criteria:
(A) Regularly report or comment on government news or current events.
(B) Receive compensation or revenue for the publications or broadcasts.
(C) Make the publications or broadcasts available to the general public, whether for a fee or free of charge.
(D) Be independent of any principal, lobbying firm or lobbyist that is engaged in lobbying activities under the act.
(E) Be independent of any organization or entity that is not a news organization.
(ii) To the extent an individual or entity, which is otherwise required to register and report under the act, engages in activities other than the publishing or broadcasting of news or comment on the news, the other activities will not be afforded an exemption under this subsection.
(3) The exemption in section 13A06(3) of the act is limited to an individual who does not receive any economic consideration for lobbying.
(4) The exemption in section 13A06(4) of the act is limited to an individual whose economic consideration for lobbying, from all principals represented, does not exceed $2,500 in the aggregate during any reporting period.
(5) The exemption in section 13A06(5) of the act is limited to an individual who engages in lobbying on behalf of the individual’s employer if the lobbying activity represents less than 20 hours during any reporting period.
(6) The exemption in section 13A06(6) of the act is limited to a principal whose total expenses for lobbying purposes do not exceed $2,500 during any reporting period.
(7) The exemptions in section 13A06(7), (8), (9) and (10) of the act (as referenced in section 13A05(b)(8)) exclude Commonwealth governmental entities and political subdivisions as well as elected officials, appointed officials and employees of the entities or subdivisions from the registration and reporting requirements of the act to the extent that the lobbying activities are performed by the governmental entities or by their officials/employees in an official capacity. Specifically, these sections exempt lobbying by a governmental entity on its own behalf and lobbying by an official/employee of the entity acting in an official capacity so that neither the official/employee nor the governmental entity would be required to register or report as to those activities under the act. The governmental entity would be required to register and report as a principal if other lobbyists or lobbying firms would engage in lobbying on behalf of the governmental entity and the total expenditures for those lobbying activities would not bring the governmental entity within the exemption in section 13A06(6) of the act.
(8) The exemption in section 13A06(11) of the act is limited to an individual representing a bona fide church or bona fide religious body of which the individual is a member, or the bona fide church or bona fide religious body itself, when the lobbying is solely for the purpose of protecting the constitutional right to the free exercise of religion. Lobbying on issues beyond the scope of the free exercise of religion does not qualify for this exemption no matter who engages in the lobbying.
(9) The exemption in section 13A06(12) of the act applies to an individual who is not otherwise required to register and who serves on an advisory board, working group or task force at the request of an agency or the General Assembly. This exemption is limited to the scope of the individual’s service on the advisory board, working group or task force.
(10) The exemption in section 13A06(13) of the act applies to the activity of participating as a party or as an attorney at law or representative of a party, case or controversy in any administrative adjudication pursuant to 2 Pa.C.S. (relating to administrative law and procedure). This activity is exempt whether performed by an individual or entity, but will not operate to exclude from reporting other activities performed by individuals or entities that are otherwise required to register and report under the act.
(11) The exemption in section 13A06(14) of the act applies to expenditures and other transactions subject to reporting under Article XVI of the Election Code (25 P. S. § § 3241—3260b).
(b) Vendor activities. The exemption in section 13A06(15) of the act applies to vendor activities under 62 Pa.C.S. § § 514 and 516 (relating to small procurements; and emergency procurement) and efforts directly related to responding to publicly advertised invitations to bid and requests for proposals. This exemption also includes:
(1) The following vendor activities in response to public procurement actions initiated by the Commonwealth:
(i) Submission of supplier pricing requests and sealed quotes, bids and proposals in response to a Request for Quotes, Invitation For Bids, Request for Proposals or other competitive procurement process.
(ii) Submission of questions; participation in a site visit; prebid or preproposal conference; and communications concerning the procurement process between the vendor’s and the covered agency’s contracting officer designated by the competitive procurement document related to an active procurement.
(iii) Submission of a response to a Request for Expressions of Interest or Request For Information seeking formal expression of interest or identification of vendor capabilities for a potential future procurement.
(2) Activities and communications necessary or incidental to performing an existing contract or the demonstration of products or services authorized by an existing contract to covered agencies that may order from the contract.
(3) Participation in trade shows, conventions or product demonstrations open to the public or held for an open community when Commonwealth representatives are among the attendees.
(4) Participation in an open, public forum for vendors conducted by the Commonwealth.
Cross References This section cited in 51 Pa. Code § 57.1 (relating to general rule).
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