HCS/SS/SB 709 - The Missouri Ethics Commission may promulgate rules setting civil penalties for violation of the ethics laws, laws governing campaign reporting and any ethics code promulgated by a college or university, a state department or the Governor. The penalty shall be the greater of $5,000 or double the amount involved in the violation. Moneys are deposited in the general revenue fund. If the Commission determines that a violation of Chapter 105 RSMo, (Ethics) is inadvertent, it may enter into an agreement for the payment of a civil penalty. Advisory opinions issued by the Ethics Commission shall be published in the Missouri Register.

Under current law, elected officials and top level decision making employees of local governments with a budget of more than $1 million a year are required to file annual financial disclosure statements. This act changes the threshold to $5 million a year.

Individuals who are full time lobbyists and their employers are prohibited from providing meals, entertainment or other gifts to a public official, or the spouses and children of a public official, with certain exceptions. This provision would not apply to a public official whose spouse is a lobbyist or whose spouse is employed by a lobbyist principal (employer of a lobbyist). A legislator cannot accept any single item valued at more than $50 and cannot accept anything valued in the aggregate at more than $100 from a full time lobbyist in one year. Lobbyists are required to report expenditures monthly to the Secretary of the Senate and the Chief Clerk of the House and must also submit a semi-annual summary of expenditures to the Missouri Ethics Commission.

A legislator cannot accept honoraria from a lobbyist or lobbyist principal.

The Commission shall maintain reports submitted by lobbyists in an electronic reporting system.
DAVID VALENTINE