Lobbying

All registrations and periodic disclosure filings for lobbying activity must be filed through the Lobbying Information System. Detailed registration instructions, a guide to Vermont’s lobbying disclosure laws, and helpful FAQs are also available.

To access detailed disclosure information, including the Lobbyist Photobook, please use the Public Search feature in the Lobbying Information System

Lobbying Defined

The Vermont lobbying law defines lobbying as follows:

1. to communicate orally or in writing with any legislator or administrative official for the purpose of influencing legislative or administrative action;
2. solicitation of others to influence legislative or administrative action;
3. an attempt to obtain the goodwill of a legislator or administrative official by communications or activities with that legislator or administrative official intended ultimately to influence legislative or administrative action; or
4. activities sponsored by an employer or lobbyist on behalf of or for the benefit of the members of an interest group, if a principal purpose of the activity is to enable such members to communicate orally with one or more legislators or administrative officials for the purpose of influencing legislative or administrative action or to obtain their goodwill. - 2 V.S.A. § 261(9).

Registration

Vermont’s registration period is two years, coinciding with the legislative biennium. Each biennium, all lobbyists are required to register with the Office of the Secretary of State within 48 hours of commencing lobbying activities.

All registrations must be submitted using the Lobbying Information System.

Please note that when a lobbyist submits their registration and lists the employers that have engaged their services, those employers must also file their own separate registration and list any lobbyists that they have engaged. A lobbyist listing an employer on their registration does not accomplish registration for that employer.

In the same way, when a lobbyist employer submits their registration and lists the lobbyists that employer has engaged, those lobbyists must also file their own separate registration and list any employers they are currently lobbying for. A lobbyist employer listing a lobbyist on their registration does not accomplish registration for that lobbyist.

We encourage lobbyists and their employers to communicate during the registration process to ensure that the necessary registrations have been filed for both the employer and the lobbyist. Failure to do so will subject the relevant entity to late registration fees.

Disclosure

Disclosure reports for lobbyists, lobbyist employers, and lobbying firms are due seven (7) times per year:

• January 15 (covers period of Sept 1 – December 31)
• February 15 (covers period of Jan 1 – January 31)
• March 15 (covers period of Feb 1 – last day of February)
• April 15 (covers period of March 1 – March 31)
• May 15 (covers period of April 1 – April 30)
• June 15 (covers period of May 1 -- May 31)
• September 15 (covers period of June 1 – August 31)

All disclosures must be submitted using the Lobbying Information System.

Please note that when a lobbyist submits his or her disclosure and lists the employers that have engaged their services during the period, those employers must also file their own separate disclosure and list any lobbyists that they have engaged during the period. A lobbyist listing an employer on their disclosure does not accomplish disclosure for that employer.

In the same way, when a lobbyist employer submits his or her disclosure and lists the lobbyists that employer has engaged during the period, those lobbyists must also file their own separate disclosure and list any employers they lobbied for during the period. A lobbyist employer listing a lobbyist on their disclosure does not accomplish disclosure for that lobbyist.

Late Fees

We encourage lobbyists and their employers to communicate during the disclosure process to ensure that the necessary disclosures have been filed for both the employer and the lobbyist. Failure to do so will subject the relevant entity to late disclosure fees.