Frequently Asked Questions About the Minnesota Legislature

According to Minnesota Statutes 10A.01, Subdivision 21, "Lobbyist" means an individual

• Engaged for pay or other consideration of more than $3,000 from all sources in any year for the purpose of attempting to influence legislative or administrative action, or the official action of a a political subdivision, by communicating or urging others to communicate with public or local officials; or
• from a business whose primary source of revenue is derived from facilitating government relations or government affairs services if the individual's job duties include offering direct or indirect consulting or advice that helps the business provide those services to clients; or
• who spends more than $3,000 of the individual's personal funds, not including the individual's own traveling expenses and membership dues, in any year for the purpose of attempting to influence legislative or administrative action, or the official action of a political subdivision, by communicating or urging others to communicate with public or local officials.

"Lobbyist" does not include

• A public official
• An employee of the state, including an employee of any of the public higher education systems
• An elected local official
• A nonelected local official or an employee of a political subdivision acting in an official capacity, unless the nonelected official or employee of a political subdivision spends more than 50 hours in any month attempting to influence legislative or administrative action, or the official action of a political subdivision other than the political subdivision employing the official or employee, by communicating or urging others to communicate with public or local officials, including time spent monitoring legislative or administrative action, or the official action of a political subdivision, and related research, analysis, and compilation and dissemination of information relating to legislative or administrative policy in this state, or to the policies of political subdivisions
• A party or the party's representative appearing in a proceeding before a state board, commission, or agency of the executive branch unless the board, commission, or agency is taking administrative action
• An individual while engaged in selling goods or services to be paid for by public funds
• A news medium or its employees or agents while engaged in the publishing or broadcasting of news items, editorial comments, or paid advertisements which directly or indirectly urge official action
• A paid expert witness whose testimony is requested by the body before which the witness is appearing, but only to the extent of preparing or delivering testimony
• A party or the party's representative appearing to present a claim to the legislature and communicating to legislators only by the filing of a claim form and supporting documents and by appearing at public hearings on the claim.
• An individual who volunteers personal time to work without pay or other consideration on a lobbying campaign, and who does not spend more than the limit in paragraph (a), clause (2), need not register as a lobbyist.
• An individual who provides administrative support to a lobbyist and whose salary and administrative expenses attributable to lobbying activities are reported as lobbying expenses by the lobbyist, but who does not communicate or urge others to communicate with public or local officials, need not register as a lobbyist.

At the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board
190 Centennial Office Building, 658 Cedar Street
St. Paul, MN 55155
Telephone 651-296-5148

The Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board's website provides a list of currently registered lobbyists in Minnesota.

Lobbyists are hired (or act on their own) to work toward influencing lawmaking by communicating with legislators, either directly or by coordinating the message of a group. Lobbyists can provide lawmakers with focused, specialized information or a single point of contact for a large group's interest. See the Lobbyist Handbook for further information.