120C-103. Lobbying education program; newsletter; resource collection.

(a) The Commission shall develop and implement a lobbying education and awareness program designed to instill in all designated individuals, lobbyists, and lobbyists' principals a keen and continuing awareness of their obligations and sensitivity to situations that might result in real or potential violation of this Chapter or other related laws. The Commission shall make basic lobbying education and awareness presentations to all designated individuals upon their election, appointment, or hiring and shall offer periodic refresher presentations as the Commission deems appropriate. Every designated individual shall participate in a lobbying presentation approved by the State Board within six months of the designated individual's election, appointment, or hiring and shall attend refresher lobbying education presentations at least every two years thereafter in a manner the Commission deems appropriate. The Commission shall also make lobbying education and awareness programs available to lobbyists and lobbyists' principals. Upon request, the Commission shall assist each agency in developing in-house education programs and procedures necessary or desirable to meet the agency's particular needs for lobbying education.

(b) A designated individual appointed to a board determined and designated as nonadvisory under G.S. 138A-10(a)(3) by the Commission shall attend lobbying education and awareness programs within six months of notification of the designation by the Commission and at least every two years thereafter in a manner as the Commission deems appropriate.

(c) The Commission shall publish a newsletter containing summaries of the advisory opinions, policies, procedures, and interpretive bulletins as issued from time to time, but no less than once per year. The newsletter shall be distributed to all designated individuals, lobbyists, and lobbyists' principals. Publication under this subsection may be done electronically.

(d) The Commission shall assemble and maintain a collection of relevant State laws, rules, and regulations that set forth lobbying standards applicable to designated individuals. The collection of laws, rules, and regulations shall be made available electronically as resource material to designated individuals, lobbyists, and lobbyists' principals upon request.