A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to extend the time period during which legislators and certain public servants are prohibited from registering as a lobbyist after leaving office or employment; and to prohibit public servants from accepting economic benefit from certain persons after leaving office or employment.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 120C‑304 reads as rewritten:
"§ 120C‑304.  Restrictions.
(a)	No legislator or former legislator may register as a lobbyist under this Chapter:
(1)	While in office.
(2)	Before the later of the close of session as set forth in G.S. 120C‑100(a)(4)b.1 in which the legislator served or one year after leaving office.
(b)	No public servant or former public servant as defined in G.S. 138A‑3(30)a. may register as a lobbyist under this Chapter while in office or within one year after leaving office.
(c)	No public servant or former public servant as defined in G.S. 138A‑3(30)c. may register as a lobbyist under this Chapter within one year after separation from employment as a public servant. No other employee of any State agency may register as a lobbyist under this Chapter to lobby the State agency that previously employed the former employee within one year after voluntary separation or separation for cause from that State agency.
(c1)	No public servant as defined in G.S. 138A‑3(30)a., c., or d. shall, within one year of leaving office or separation from employment with the State, accept employment or compensation from any person or business entity that contracts with, does business with, or is regulated by the State in matters in which the public servant was directly involved during the final 36 months of the public servant's term of office or employment with the State.
(d)	No individual registered as a lobbyist under this Chapter shall serve as a treasurer as defined in G.S. 163‑278.6(19) or an assistant campaign treasurer for a political committee for the election of a member of the General Assembly or a Constitutional officer of the State.
(e)	A lobbyist shall not be eligible for appointment by a State official to, or service on, any body created under the laws of this State that has regulatory authority over the activities of a person or governmental unit that the lobbyist currently represents or has represented within 120 days after the expiration of the lobbyist's registration representing that person or governmental unit. Nothing herein shall be construed to prohibit appointment by any unit of local government.
(f)	Any appointment or registration made in violation of this section shall be void."
SECTION 2. This act becomes effective January 1, 2012.