Joint Legislative Ethics Committee

Office of the Ohio Legislative Inspector General

Lobbying

Meals & Beverages provided by a Legislative Agent (Lobbyist)

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Meals & beverages provided to a legislative reportable person by a legislative agent are divided into three categories:

  • Meals & Beverages aggregated over the course of a calendar year totaling $50.00 or less per recipient: these expenditures are reportable from $0.01 but are not itemized. 
    • Please note – this does not mean meals and beverages costing less than $50 need not be reported. Ohio law provides lobbyists may spend up to $50.00 per legislator per calendar year without having to disclose the identity of the recipient.
  • Meals & Beverages aggregated over the course of a calendar year totaling between $50.01 – $75.00 per recipient: these meals & beverages are itemized, meaning the lobbyist must disclose the name of the recipient on his or her corresponding Legislative Activity & Expenditure Report. 
    • These expenditures must disclose the date, name of the recipient, short description, amount spent, and date the lobbyist notified the legislative reportable person the expenditure was being disclosed.
  • Meals & Beverages aggregated over the course of a calendar year totaling more than $75.00 per recipient: prohibited.

Exceptions:

  • National Conference Meal & Beverage Expenditures: While this expenditure is reportable from $0.01, it is not itemized. The Lobbyist reports only a dollar amount in this scenario.  A national conference expenditure is a meal/beverage expenditure provided for the benefit of a Member of the General Assembly attending a meeting or conference of a national organization to which a state agency pays membership dues. See p.68 of the Ohio Lobbying Handbook.  National conference meal & beverage expenditures provided to a Member of the General Assembly by a legislative agent do not count toward the $75.00 limit for the calendar year.
  • Speaking Engagements: While this expenditure is reportable from $0.01, it is not itemized.  The Lobbyist reports only a dollar amount in this scenario. A speaking engagement expenditure is a meal or beverage provided to a Member participating in a panel, seminar or speaking event. Meals & beverages provided to a Member in conjunction with a Member participating in a panel, seminar or speaking event are not subject to the $75.00 limit.

This is an overview of the various types of reporting categories for meals and beverages provided by a lobbyist.  If you have a specific scenario or question, please contact JLEC at 614-728-5100.