Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 13 - Legislative branch.
13.621 - Exemptions.

13.621 Exemptions.
(1) Complete exemption for certain conduct. This subchapter does not apply to the following activities:
(a) Lobbying through communications media or by public addresses to audiences made up principally of persons other than legislators or agency officials.
(b) Except as provided in s. 13.68 (1) (a) 5., news or feature reporting, paid advertising activities or editorial comment by working members of the press, and the publication or dissemination thereof by a newspaper, book publisher, regularly published periodical, radio station or television station.
(c) Requests by a member or employee of the legislature or by a legislative committee for information from an agency or its employees and the furnishing of the requested information by that agency or its employees.
(d) Lobbying of an agency official by an agency official of a different agency or another agency official of the same agency.
(e) Participation as a member in the deliberations of a committee under s. 227.13 or any committee of the legislature.
(f) Requests by an agency official for information from any person and the furnishing of the information by that person, or requests by any person for information from any agency official and the furnishing of the information by that official.
(2) State agency lobbying activities. An agency which files a statement under s. 13.695 and an official of the agency who is named in the statement are not subject to s. 13.625, 13.63, 13.64, 13.65 or 13.68 except as provided in s. 13.695.
(3) Performance of public official duties. An elective state official, local official, tribal official, or employee of the legislature is not subject to s. 13.63, 13.64, 13.65, 13.68, or 13.695 when acting in an official capacity.
(5) Verified statements. Any principal who or which anticipates making expenditures or incurring obligations in an aggregate amount not exceeding $500 in a calendar year for the purpose of engaging in lobbying activities which are not exempt under this section may so indicate on a verified statement filed with the commission. The statement shall disclose the name, address and telephone number of the principal and a brief description of each cause or interest for which the principal employs a lobbyist. The statement shall also disclose the name and business address of any lobbyist who is employed by such principal to engage in lobbying activities which are not exempt under this section. A statement filed under this subsection expires at midnight on December 31 of each year, or upon revocation by the principal, whichever is earlier. Any principal and any lobbyist acting on behalf of a principal making such a statement is not subject to licensing under s. 13.63, registration under s. 13.64, or the reporting requirements under s. 13.68, if the statement is true. The statement may be revoked at any time by the principal and the principal and any lobbyist employed by the principal are then subject to such requirements as of the date of revocation. The statement shall be revoked no later than 10 days after the date the aggregate expenditures or obligations in the calendar year for the purpose of engaging in such lobbying activities exceed $500. The fee paid under s. 13.75 (1g) (c) for filing a statement under this subsection shall be credited toward payment of the fee under s. 13.75 (1g) (b) if the fee under s. 13.75 (1g) (b) is paid within the same year.
(6) Individual right to lobby. Nothing in ss. 13.61 to 13.695 may be applied to or interfere with the right of any individual to engage in lobbying:
(a) Solely on his or her own behalf; or
(b) By communicating solely with a legislator who represents the senate or assembly district in which the individual resides, whether or not such communication is made on behalf of the individual or on behalf of another person.
(7) Participation in events; public official outreach.
(a) An agency official, an elective state official, or a legislative employee may receive and retain reimbursement or payment of actual and reasonable expenses for a published work or for the presentation of a talk or participation in a meeting related to a topic specified in s. 19.56 (1) if the payment or reimbursement is paid or arranged by the organizer of the event or the publisher of the work, including a principal or lobbyist.
(b) An agency official, an elective state official, or a legislative employee may attend a meeting with clubs, conventions, special interest groups, political groups, school groups, and other gatherings, without paying admission costs, to discuss and to interpret legislative, administrative, executive, or judicial processes and proposals and issues initiated by or affecting the state legislature, state government, a department, or the judicial branch. An agency official, an elective state official, or a legislative employee may not receive food, beverages, or other items included in the cost of admission unless the person pays the event organizer, including a principal or lobbyist, for the actual cost of the food, beverages, or items.
History: 1977 c. 278, 418; 1979 c. 34 s. 2102 (58) (b); 1985 a. 29; 1985 a. 182 s. 57; 1989 a. 338 ss. 42 to 47; Stats. 1989 s. 13.621; 1989 a. 359 s. 11; 1991 a. 32; 2005 a. 463; 2015 a. 118 s. 266 (10); 2017 a. 366; 2021 a. 266.

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