A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to extend the cooling off period of an elected public servant or legislator to register as a lobbyist.
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 two years 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 two years 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 six months 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 six months after voluntary separation or separation for cause from that State agency.
(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 is effective when it becomes law and applies to legislators and public servants holding office on or after that date.