HR 6

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1House Rules Resolution - Lobbyist Ethics Amendments
                                        2026 GENERAL SESSION
                                              STATE OF UTAH
                                     Chief Sponsor: Angela Romero
2
3   LONG TITLE
4   General Description:
5This resolution modifies House rules related to lobbyist ethics.
6   Highlighted Provisions:
7This resolution:
8▸ defines terms;
9▸ prohibits a volunteer lobbyist from certain House spaces under certain circumstances;
10▸ prohibits a lobbyist, volunteer lobbyist, or government official from:
11●   participating in the prioritization of legislation for floor action or referral to a standing
12   committee; and
13●   using a representative's, elected or appointed state official's, state employee's, or
14   legislative employee's identification badge; and
15▸ makes technical and conforming changes.
16   Money Appropriated in this Bill:
17None
18   Other Special Clauses:
19None
20   Legislative Rules Affected:
21   AMENDS:
22HR2-4-101
23HR2-4-101.2
24HR2-4-101.3
25HR2-4-101.4
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26HR5-1-101
27HR5-2-101
28
29   Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the state of Utah:
30Section 1. HR2-4-101 is amended to read:
31HR2-4-101 . Definitions.
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32     As used in this chapter:
33  (1) "Department head" means the same as that term is defined in Utah Code Section
34      63A-17-807 or a department head's designee.
35  (2) "Former legislator" means [a person] an individual who is not a current member of the
36      Legislature, but who served in the Utah House or Utah Senate at one time.
37  (3)(a) "Guest" means an individual who is afforded access to the House space under a
38      provision of this chapter, who is not an individual described in Subsection (3)(c) or a
39      special guest as described under HR2-4-101.2(5).
40      (b) "Guest" includes:
41(i) the governor, the lieutenant governor, the state attorney general, the state treasurer,
42the state auditor, and governor's staff; and
43(ii) a former legislator who is an individual described in Subsection (3)(b)(i).
44      (c) "Guest" does not mean a legislator, a member of House or Senate staff, a member of
45professional legislative staff, a House intern, [or a lobbyist] a lobbyist, or a volunteer
46lobbyist.
47  (4) "House conference rooms" means one of the conference rooms adjacent to the House
48      lounge, speaker's office, or the majority caucus room.
49  (5) "House halls" means the passageways that allow access to:
50      (a) the House chamber;
51      (b) the House lounge;
52      (c) the House offices; or
53      (d) any other nonpublic areas adjoining the House chamber.
54  (6) "House intern" means an individual who is:
55      (a) an official participant in the student intern program sponsored by the Utah
56Legislature and administered by the Office of Legislative Services; and
57      (b) is assigned to a representative.
58  (7) "House offices" means:
59      (a) Representatives' offices adjacent to the House chamber;
60      (b) Representatives' offices on the third and fourth floors of the capitol building;
61      (c) Representatives' offices in the House building; and
62      (d) kitchens, restrooms, elevators, and any auxiliary rooms in the nonpublic areas
63connected with the offices listed above.
64  (8) "House or Senate staff" means an individual who is employed directly by the House or
65      Senate.
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66   (9)(a) "House space" means the House chamber, House lounge, House offices, House
67halls, and House conference rooms.
68(b) "House space" does not mean the common public space outside the House chamber.
69   (10) "Immediate family" means any parent, spouse, child, grandparent, grandchild,
70great-grandparent, great-grandchild, sibling, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew of a member
71of the House, provided that the individual is not a lobbyist or volunteer lobbyist.
72   (11) "Lobbying" means communicating with a legislator for the purpose of influencing the
73passage, defeat, amendment, or postponement of legislative action.
74   (12) "Lobbyist" [means an individual who is required to register as a lobbyist by Utah Code
75Section 36-11-103] means the same as that term is defined in HR5-1-101.
76   (13) "Professional legislative staff" means an individual employed by[ one of the
77Legislature's profession-based staff offices, namely the Office of Legislative Research
78and General Counsel, the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst, the Office of the
79Legislative Auditor General, or the Office of Legislative Services] :
80(a) the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel;
81(b) the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst;
82(c) the Office of the Legislative Auditor General; or
83(d) the Office of Legislative Services.
84   (14) "Volunteer lobbyist" means the same as that term is defined in HR5-1-101.
85Section 2. HR2-4-101.2 is amended to read:
86HR2-4-101.2 . Admittance to House floor -- Prohibition against lobbying.
87   (1) Subject to the requirements of this rule, while the House is convened in annual general
88session or special session, only the following individuals are permitted on the House
89floor:
90(a) a legislator;
91(b) a member of House or Senate staff;
92(c) a member of professional legislative staff;
93(d) a House intern;
94(e) a former legislator who is not:
95(i) a lobbyist;
96(ii) a volunteer lobbyist; or
97[(ii)] (iii) the governor, lieutenant governor, state attorney general, state treasurer, or
98state auditor;
99(f) a guest; and
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100      (g) a department head.
101  (2)(a) While the House is convened in annual general session or special session, a
102      representative may invite one guest who is not a lobbyist or volunteer lobbyist to
103      accompany the representative on the House floor, provided that:
104(i) the guest sits next to the representative;
105(ii) the representative ensures that the guest does not impede staff work, distract from
106the work of the House, or encroach on a neighboring representative's desk;
107(iii) the guest complies with the requirements of this rule, HR2-4-102, and HR2-4-103;
108and
109(iv) no representative objects.
110      (b) A representative may have no more than one guest on the House floor at any one
111time.
112      (c) An individual described in Subsections (1)(e) through (g) is prohibited from lobbying
113on the House floor.
114  (3) While the House is convened in annual general session or special session, a lobbyist or
115      volunteer lobbyist is not permitted on the House floor.
116  (4) The speaker or the speaker's designee may authorize special guests to be present in the
117      House chamber or on the House floor.
118  (5)(a) A representative sponsoring a piece of legislation being debated by the House
119      may, with the permission of the speaker, invite one department head with expertise
120      on the legislation to assist the sponsor during the course of debate.
121      (b) A representative who invites a department head to assist the representative under
122Subsection (5)(a) shall ensure that the department head:
123(i) does not engage in lobbying while on the House floor; and
124(ii) promptly exits the House floor when the House moves to another item of business.
125Section 3. HR2-4-101.3 is amended to read:
126HR2-4-101.3 . Admittance to the House lounge.
127  (1) While the House is convened in annual general session or special session only the
128      following individuals are permitted in the House lounge:
129      (a) a legislator;
130      (b) a member of House or Senate staff;
131      (c) a member of professional legislative staff;
132      (d) a member of the representative's immediate family;
133      (e) a House intern;
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134(f) a former legislator who is not:
135(i) a lobbyist;
136(ii) a volunteer lobbyist; or
137[(ii)] (iii) the governor, lieutenant governor, state attorney general, state treasurer, or
138state auditor; and
139(g) a lobbyist, volunteer lobbyist, or guest as provided in Subsection (2).
140   (2)(a) A representative may invite a small number of lobbyists, volunteer lobbyists, or
141guests to meet with the representative in the House lounge for the purpose of
142educating the lobbyists, volunteer lobbyists, or guests about the legislative process or
143to discuss specific legislative issues.
144(b) The representative shall ensure that the lobbyists, volunteer lobbyists, and guests
145leave the House space when the meeting is over.
146Section 4. HR2-4-101.4 is amended to read:
147HR2-4-101.4 . Admittance to the House offices, conference rooms, and halls.
148   (1) While the House is convened in annual general session or special session only the
149following individuals are permitted in the House offices:
150(a) a legislator;
151(b) a member of House or Senate staff;
152(c) a member of professional legislative staff;
153(d) a House intern;
154(e) a member of the representative's immediate family;
155(f) a former legislator who is not:
156(i) a lobbyist;
157(ii) a volunteer lobbyist; or
158[(ii)] (iii) the governor, lieutenant governor, state attorney general, state treasurer, or
159state auditor; and
160(g) a lobbyist, volunteer lobbyist, or guest, as provided in Subsection (3).
161   (2) An administrative assistant who is not a House intern is permitted in:
162(a) the office of the representative who is employing the administrative assistant;
163(b) the common areas of the House offices;
164(c) a conference room in the House space, when meeting to discuss legislative business
165with a representative; and
166(d) the office of another representative with the consent of that representative.
167   (3)(a) A representative may invite a small number of lobbyists, volunteer lobbyists, or
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168      guests to meet with the representative in the representative's House office or a House
169      conference room to discuss specific legislative issues.
170      (b) The representative shall ensure that the lobbyists, volunteer lobbyists, and guests
171leave the House space when the meeting is over.
172  (4)(a) While the House is convened as a body on the House floor, and except as
173      provided in Subsection (4)(b), only the following individuals are allowed in the
174      House halls:
175(i) a legislator;
176(ii) a member of House or Senate staff;
177(iii) a member of professional legislative staff;
178(iv) a House intern;
179(v) an administrative assistant who is not a House intern; and
180(vi) a former legislator who is not:
181(A) a lobbyist;
182(B) a volunteer lobbyist; or
183[(B)] (C) the governor, lieutenant governor, state attorney general, state treasurer,
184or state auditor.
185      (b) Immediate family of a representative, a lobbyist, a volunteer lobbyist, a guest, an
186administrative assistant who is not a House intern, or any other authorized individual
187who is in transit to the House chamber, House lounge, or House offices may pass
188through the House halls when traveling to and from an authorized destination.
189  (5) An administrative assistant to a representative who is a not a House intern is not
190      permitted to use or be issued an access badge that grants access to the House floor,
191      House lounge, House offices, House conference rooms, or House hallways.
192Section 5. HR5-1-101 is amended to read:
193HR5-1-101 . Definitions.
194     As used in this [House Rule] title:
195  (1)(a) "Government official" means:
196(i) an individual elected to a position in state or local government when acting within
197the individual's official capacity; and
198(ii) an individual appointed to or employed in a full-time or part-time position by
199state or local government when acting within the scope of employment or within
200the individual's official capacity.
201      (b) "Government official" does not [mean] include a member of the legislative branch of
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202state government.
203   (2) "Lobbyist" [has the meaning identified in Utah Code Subsections 36-11-102(11)(a) and
204(b)] means an individual who is required to register as a lobbyist under Utah Code Title
20536, Chapter 11, Lobbyist Disclosure and Regulation Act.
206   (3)(a) "Volunteer lobbyist" means [a person not registered as a lobbyist who engages in
207lobbying within the meaning of Utah Code Subsection 36-11-102(10).] an individual
208who:
209(i) engages in lobbying as defined in HR2-4-101; and
210(ii) is not required to register as a lobbyist under Utah Code Title 36, Chapter 11,
211Lobbyist Disclosure and Regulation Act.
212(b) "Volunteer lobbyist" does not [mean] include an individual who appears on the
213individual's own behalf to engage in lobbying [within the meaning of Utah Code
214Subsection 36-11-102(10)] as defined in HR2-4-101.
215Section 6. HR5-2-101 is amended to read:
216HR5-2-101 . Lobbyist code of ethics.
217A lobbyist, volunteer lobbyist, or government official may not:
218   (1) attempt to influence a representative, elected or appointed state official, state employee,
219or legislative employee by means of deceit or by threat of violence or economic or
220political reprisal against any person or property, with intent by doing so to alter or affect
221the representative's, elected or appointed state official's, state employee's, or legislative
222employee's decision, vote, opinion, or action concerning any matter that is to be
223considered or performed by the representative, official, or employee or the agency or
224body of which the representative, official, or employee is a member;
225   (2) knowingly provide false information to a representative, elected or appointed state
226official, state employee, or legislative employee as to any material fact pertaining to any
227legislation;
228   (3) knowingly omit, conceal, or falsify in any manner information required by the lobbyist
229registration and lobbyist disclosure reports;
230   (4) participate in committee assignments or leadership races of the House of
231Representatives;
232   (5) participate in the prioritization of legislation for floor action or referral to a standing
233committee;
234   (6) cause or influence the introduction of any piece of legislation, substitute, or amendment
235for the purpose of afterwards becoming employed to secure its passage or defeat;
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236  [(6)] (7) misappropriate or misuse legislative office supplies;
237  [(7)] (8) use legislative reproduction or facsimile machines without paying for that use;
238  [(8)] (9) enter or use a representative's, elected or appointed state official's, state employee's,
239      or legislative employee's office, phone, computer, identification badge, or parking space
240      without explicit permission;
241  [(9)] (10) attempt to remove or remove any document from any representative's or
242      legislative employee's office, desk, file cabinet, reproduction machine, facsimile
243      machine, or any other place without explicit permission;
244  [(10)] (11) engage in discriminatory conduct, as defined in Legislative Management
245      Committee Policy E -- Legislative Workplace Discrimination Prevention, toward a
246      representative or legislative employee;
247  [(11)] (12) offer employment to a representative or legislative employee that impairs the
248      representative's or legislative employee's independence of judgement as to their official
249      duties;
250  [(12)] (13) offer employment that would require or induce a representative or legislative
251      employee to disclose records classified as private, protected, or controlled;
252  [(13)] (14) use or disclose for personal financial gain any records classified as private,
253      protected, or controlled that were obtained from a representative or legislative employee
254      or conspire with any person for that purpose; or
255  [(14)] (15) induce or seek to induce a representative or legislative employee to commit a
256      violation of any provision of this House rule.
257Section 7. Effective Date.
258  This resolution takes effect upon a successful vote for final passage.
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