HB 1500 Summary

• Defines "paid political consultant" and prohibits state representatives and senators from accepting compensation as paid political consultants for other state officials, candidates, or political committees.

• Adds new ethics restrictions on appointments, including requiring statewide officials and legislative leaders to return campaign contributions from appointees made within four years before appointment, publicly disclose appointee contributions, and wait 180 days before appointing former legislators.

• Creates new section 105.479 prohibiting members of the general assembly and statewide officials from accepting any expenditures from lobbyists, and establishes 180-day cooling-off period before former legislators can register as lobbyists.

• Expands financial disclosure requirements to include all general assembly members, their staff and employees, the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, state auditor, and attorney general and their staff.

• Adds campaign finance restrictions prohibiting contributions to candidates or political committees by individuals or entities with pending applications or bids before state agencies, and prohibiting solicitation of such contributions by statewide officials.