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HB 4273

Public employees and officers: ethics; lobbying guidelines for legislative staff; provide for. Amends sec. 5 of 1978 PA 472 (MCL 4.415).

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Joey Andrews and 21 co-sponsors

HB 4273 clarifies and expands Michigan lobbying rules, redefining lobbyists/agents, what counts as influencing, and who must register/report, including more public staff.

bill electronically reproduced 03/19/2025
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Bill Summary · HB 4273

Summary — HB 4273 (2025)

Title: Public employees and officers: ethics; lobbying guidelines for legislative staff; provide for.
Statute amended: 1978 PA 472 (MCL 4.415)

Purpose / Intent

HB 4273 revises definitions and coverage in Michigan’s lobbying law to clarify who is a “lobbyist” or “lobbyist agent,” to define “influencing” and “representative of the lobbyist,” and to further specify which state and local officials and employees fall within (or outside) the statute’s exemptions. The changes are aimed at providing clearer lobbying guidelines applicable to legislative staff and other public employees.

Key provisions (based on the bill text excerpt)

  • Adds and/or clarifies core definitions:
    • “Influencing” — expressly defined to include promoting, supporting, affecting, modifying, opposing, or delaying by any means, including provision/use of information, statistics, studies, or analysis.
    • “Legislative action” — clarified to list actions such as introduction, sponsorship, debate, vote, approval, veto, delay, or official action on bills, resolutions, nominations, appointments, reports, or matters pending before the legislature. Representation of a subpoenaed witness is excluded.
    • “Lobbying” — defined as direct communication with executive or legislative branch officials for the purpose of influencing legislative or administrative action. The bill clarifies an exception for the provision of “technical information” (empirically verifiable data provided by recognized experts) in certain hearing contexts.
    • “Representative of the lobbyist” — newly defined to include employees of a lobbyist or lobbyist agent, certain members of membership organizations when food/beverage is provided, and persons reimbursed by a lobbyist for lobbying-related expenditures (other than food/beverage).
  • Retains prior monetary thresholds for lobbyist/lobbyist-agent status:
    • A “lobbyist” is a person whose lobbying expenditures exceed $1,000 in 12 months (or $250 when expended on lobbying a single public official).
    • A “lobbyist agent” remains defined by receiving compensation or reimbursement exceeding $250 in a 12‑month period.
  • Modifies exemptions and clarifies who is excluded from being considered a “lobbyist”:
    • Keeps press/media exemption.
    • Revises the exemption for elected/appointed public officials acting in scope without extra compensation, and explicitly states that certain classes of employees (employees of colleges/universities, local units — townships/villages/cities/counties/school boards, state executive departments, and judicial branch) are not included in that exemption (i.e., they are not automatically exempt).
  • Expands and clarifies the scope of who counts as an “official in the executive branch,” listing a number of named positions and offices and excluding clerical/nonpolicy-making/nonadministrative staff.

Who would be affected

  • Lobbyists, lobbyist agents, and their representatives (employees, reimbursed persons).
  • Legislative staff and other public employees whose activities may fall within the revised definitions of lobbying or influencing.
  • State and local public bodies and officials subject to lobbyist registration and reporting rules.
  • Membership organizations that engage in lobbying-related activities and provide food/beverage to officials.

Procedural history (selected)

  • Introduced March 10 / March 19, 2025 (read first time March 19).
  • Referred to Committee on Government Operations; public hearings and committee action in April–May 2025.
  • Passed both chambers in May 2025 with Senate amendments (May 20–21); record votes and committee reports noted.
  • May 23, 2025 — point of order sustained; returned to the Senate for further action (House and Senate returned for further action).

Notes / limitations

  • The posted bill text excerpt is truncated; additional definitional changes and operative text may appear in sections not shown. This summary reflects the provisions present in the available excerpt.
  • Companion bill: SB 961.

If you want, I can (1) compare the changes against the current MCL 4.415 language line-by-line, or (2) produce a plain‑language checklist of actions by staff that would likely trigger registration/ reporting obligations under the amended definitions. Which would be most useful?

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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