Executive Agency Lobbying

In the broadest sense of the term, "to lobby" is to attempt to influence a lawmaker or executive agency decision maker. A constituent's voluntary opinion regarding an issue under consideration by his or her elected representative or government official can be considered "lobbying". However, such ordinary activities of citizens who exercise their constitutional right to petition the government or individual members of the government on any matter are separate and distinct from "professional" lobbying, so long as such activities are exclusively the exercise of individual liberty.

A professional lobbyist, also known as a legislative agent or executive agency lobbyist, is a person who receives compensation for his or her efforts to influence legislators or executive agency decision makers on behalf of a client or employer. The information here is a guide for the "professional lobbyist."

An executive agency lobbyist is defined as an individual engaged or employed for compensation by an entity attempting to influence an executive agency decision involving the expenditure of state funds. Please review KRS Chapter 11A and Chapter 9 of the Kentucky Administrative Regulations for further information. Questions may be addressed to the staff of the Executive Branch Ethics Commission.

The lobbying laws in the Commonwealth of Kentucky only apply to attempts to influence on the state level; the law does not apply to activities involving attempts to influence the decisions of county or municipal officials.

Consult the Informational Guide for more on executive agency lobbying in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.