Legislative declaration

* Section 1. Legislative declaration. The legislature hereby declares that the operation of responsible democratic government requires that the fullest opportunity be afforded to the people to petition their government for the redress of grievances and to express freely to appropriate officials their opinions on legislation and governmental operations; and that, to preserve and maintain the integrity of the governmental decision-making process in this state, it is necessary that the identity, expenditures and activities of persons and organizations retained, employed or designated to influence the passage or defeat of any legislation by either house of the legislature or the approval, or veto, of any legislation by the governor and attempts to influence the adoption or rejection of any rule or regulation having the force and effect of law or the outcome of any rate making proceeding by a state agency, be publicly and regularly disclosed. * NB Chapter 2 of the laws of 1999 repealed, effective January 1, 2000, the lobbying act as enacted by section 1 of chapter 1040 of the laws of 1981. A new lobbying act was enacted as Article 1-A of the legislative law. Section 5 of such chapter 2 transfers all of the functions and powers of the New York temporary state commission on lobbying created by such chapter 1040 to the New York temporary state commission on lobbying created by Article 1-A of the legislative law with respect to receiving the periodic and annual reports required to be filed pursuant to sections 8, 9 and 10 of the repealed chapter 1040. Also, pursuant to section 7 of such chapter 2, any action or proceeding commenced prior to January 1, 2000 under the old lobbying act shall be continued, prosecuted and defended pursuant to the old lobbying act as in effect on December 31, 1999. Because of these provisions, the Commission will continue to set out the full text of the repealed lobbying act through December 31, 2000 in order that lobbyists who were subject to the former lobbying act may be adequately apprised of the responsibilities and obligations imposed upon them as continued by sections 5 and 7 of chapter 2 of the laws of 1999.