Tell State Legislators: Include HB4266 / SB1349 in an Ethics Package to Waive Lobbyist Registration Fees for Small 501c3s

• PURPOSE:  Waives the state's lobbyist registration fees for small nonprofits (revenue <$5M)
• SUPPORTED BY:  Forefront, Illinois Collaboration on Youth, Illinois Partners for Human Service, Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Illinois Environmental Council, Illinois Arts Alliance, and others. The Secretary of State is neutral on this bill.
• IMPACT:  Removes a key barrier for nonprofits seeking to work with their elected officials, allowing them to register as lobbyists without paying expensive and burdensome fees that are difficult to fund due to grant and donor restrictions
• EQUITY NOTE:  Supports small organizations, who are more like to be led by, and work with, Persons of Color

Background

Compared to the private sector, 501c3s disproportionately struggle to access unrestricted funding for lobbyist registration fees. Many grants and contracts exclude such use. Thus, eliminating this barrier will improve compliance and engagement with the state's ethics laws among nonprofit stakeholders. The City of Chicago also waives nonprofit registration fees for nonprofit organizations. This bill should be included in the next budget or ethics package moved by the General Assembly. 

Related Resources

• Forefront Fact Sheet
• Lobbying Rules in Illinois
• Multi-Organizational Letter to Legislators