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(1)
(a) Before engaging in any lobbying, a lobbyist shall obtain a license from the lieutenant governor by completing the form required by this section.
(b) The lieutenant governor shall issue licenses to qualified lobbyists.
(c) The lieutenant governor shall prepare a Lobbyist License Application Form that includes:
(i) a place for the lobbyist's name and business address;
(ii) a place for the following information for each principal for whom the lobbyist works or is hired as an independent contractor:
(A) the principal's name;
(B) the principal's business address;
(C) the name of each public official that the principal employs and the nature of the employment with the public official; and
(D) the general purposes, interests, and nature of the principal;
(iii) a place for the name and address of the person who paid or will pay the lobbyist's licensing fee, if the fee is not paid by the lobbyist;
(iv) a place for the lobbyist to disclose:
(A) any elected or appointed position that the lobbyist holds in state or local government, if any; and
(B) the name of each public official that the lobbyist employs and the nature of the employment with the public official, if any;
(v) a place for the lobbyist to disclose the types of expenditures for which the lobbyist will be reimbursed; and
(vi) a certification to be signed by the lobbyist that certifies that the information provided in the form is true, accurate, and complete to the best of the lobbyist's knowledge and belief.
(2) Each lobbyist who obtains a license under this section shall update the licensure information when the lobbyist accepts employment for lobbying by a new client.
(3)
(a) Except as provided in Subsection (4), the lieutenant governor shall grant a lobbying license to an applicant who:
(i) files an application with the lieutenant governor that contains the information required by this section;
(ii) completes the training required by Section 36-11-307; and
(iii) pays a $60 licensing fee.
(b) A license entitles a person to serve as a lobbyist on behalf of one or more principals and expires on December 31 each year.
(4)
(a) The lieutenant governor may disapprove an application for a lobbying license:
(i) if the applicant has been convicted of violating Section 76-8-103, 76-8-107, 76-8-108, or 76-8-303 within five years before the date of the lobbying license application;
(ii) if, within one year before the date of the lobbying license application, the applicant is convicted of a violation of:
(A) Section 76-8-104; or
(B) Section 76-9-102, if the violation is a misdemeanor that occurs at an official meeting;
(iii) during the term of any suspension imposed under Section 36-11-401;
(iv) if the applicant has not complied with Subsection 36-11-307(6);
(v) during the term of a suspension imposed under Subsection 36-11-501(3);
(vi) if the lobbyist fails to pay a fine imposed under Subsection 36-11-501(3);
(vii) if, within one year before the date of the lobbying license application, the applicant has been found to have willingly and knowingly:
(A) violated this section or Section 36-11-201, 36-11-301, 36-11-302, 36-11-303, 36-11-304, 36-11-305, or 36-11-403; or
(B) filed a document required by this chapter that the lobbyist knew contained materially false information or omitted material information; or
(viii) if the applicant is prohibited from becoming a lobbyist under Title 67, Chapter 24, Lobbying Restrictions Act.
(b) An applicant may appeal the disapproval in accordance with the procedures established by the lieutenant governor under this chapter and Title 63G, Chapter 4, Administrative Procedures Act.
(5) The lieutenant governor shall deposit each licensing fee into the General Fund as a dedicated credit to be used by the lieutenant governor to pay the cost of administering the license program described in this section.
(6) A principal need not obtain a license under this section, but if the principal makes expenditures to benefit a public official without using a lobbyist as an agent to confer those benefits, the principal shall disclose those expenditures as required by Section 36-11-201.
(7) Government officers need not obtain a license under this section, but shall disclose any expenditures made to benefit public officials as required by Section 36-11-201.
(8) Surrender, cancellation, or expiration of a lobbyist license does not absolve the lobbyist of the duty to file the financial reports if the lobbyist is otherwise required to file the reports by Section 36-11-201.