Lobby Electronic Filing Instructions

All lobby registrations and reports filed with the Legislature are required to be submitted electronically using the online lobby registration and reporting system. This requirement is pursuant to the provisions of LB 782 passed in 2012 and that took effect January 1, 2015. Paper forms cannot be accepted.

• Anyone who is going to lobby on the behalf of another must register as a Lobbyist.
• Prior to engaging in lobbying activity, Lobbyists must register for each Principal they are going to lobby on behalf of.
• Lobbyists are required to submit quarterly reports throughout the year (unless they are exempt) as well as an activity report due after the end of each session.
• Principals are also required to submit quarterly reports.
• Registrations automatically expire at the end of the every calendar year (December 31st) and need to be renewed in order to continue lobbying.

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Topics

• Access Online Lobby System
• Forgotten Password and/or Username
• Create Account (for new users)
• Change Contact or Account Information (also see Amend Forms)
• Amend Forms
• Registration/Renewal

• Form A - Registration
• Form A-R - Registration Renewal

• Pay Registration Fee(s)
• Form B - Lobbyist Quarterly Report
• Form C - Principal Quarterly Report
• Form D - Statement of Activity
• Form E - Exemption Statement (for non-compensated Lobbyists)
• Form F - Termination Statement
• Questions

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Access Online Lobby System

Each Lobbyist and Principal need to have an account created in order to have log-in creditials to use the online lobby system. (“See Create Account” section if needed.)

1. Navigate to https://nebraskalegislature.gov/
2. Click on “For Lobbyists” on the left side.

Lobby user features and information available:

• Submit Lobbyist and Principal Reports
• View Lobbyist and Principal Reports
• Electronic Filing Instructions
• Lobbyist Deadlines
• Further down under the “Publications and Reports” heading are Registered Lobbyists Reports - which directs you to various PDF lobby lists and reports.

3. For the purpose of filing, choose “Submit Lobbyist and Principal Reports” under the “User Features” heading.
4. Log in using your username and password.

• If you have not ever created an account in this system - see “Create Account”.
• If you don’t remember your password or username, do not create a new account - see “Forgotten Password and/or Username” below or contact the Lobby Clerk at lobby@leg.ne.gov or (402) 471-2608.

5. You can access forms on the left side once you log in.

• If you do not see the forms you need, make sure you are logged into the correct account. Lobbyists and Principals who have separate accounts have different log-in credentials and access to different forms.

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Forgotten Password and/or Username

Under the “Login” box on the right side of the screen, click on whichever you need - password or username - and follow the instructions or you can contact the Lobby Clerk at lobby@leg.ne.gov or (402) 471-2608.

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Create Account (for new users)

• Each Lobbyist and Principal need to have an account in order to use the online lobby system.
• Each Lobbyist can have only one account for themselves. Create an account only if you have not created one in the past.
• You will use your same account for any time that you use the online lobby system.
• If you have an account, but your name has changed - see “Change Contact or Account Information”.
• If you don’t remember your password or username - see “Forgotten Password and/or Username”.

1. Select “Create Account” on the left side. Complete all of the fields accordingly.

2. Filed or not filed forms in the past:

• Mark the box at the top if whomever the account is being created for (Lobbyist or Principal) has filed any lobby forms (paper or online) in the past.
• Do not mark the box at the top if whomever the account is being created for (Lobbyist or Principal) has not filed any lobby forms in the past.
• This is a very important step to ensure that the Lobbyist and Principal accounts will be properly linked to any records on file.

3. Lobbyist or Principal or Both - Choose from the drop-down for which the account is being created. There is the choice of creating an account as a Lobbyist and then a separate account is created for the Principal, or if you act as both the Lobbyist and Principal, you may select “Both” and this will link a single account for the Lobbyist and Principal to share.

4. Name:

• If you marked the box at the top saying that you have filed forms in the past, select the name from drop-down. (If the name is not listed, this may mean an account has already been created. You can check in the “Browse Forms” link on the left side to see if an account was previously created and if so, see “Forgotten Password and/or Username”.)
• If you did not mark the box at the top because you have not filed forms (paper or electronically) in the past, you will need to type in the name.
• If you have created an account in the past and just need to make a change to the name, do not create a new account. Click on the name and you can make changes when you fill out or amend forms. The Lobbyist name can be changed on the Form A, A-R, or when you file a Form B, B-B, D, E, or F. To change a Principal name, this can be done when filing a Form C, C-C, or in the “Settings”. See “Change Contact or Account Information”.

5. Username - can be up to 30 characters, letters and numbers only, but cannot start with a number and cannot use any spaces. The username must be unique/different and not already in use.

6. Password - can be up to 30 characters. (The same password can be used for more than one account or for both the Lobbyist and Principal accounts, but the username must be different and not already in use.)

7. Email Address - can be up to 64 characters and must be a valid email format. (The same email address can be used for more than one account.)

8. Security Questions and Answers - can be up to 64 characters. Choose a question from the drop-down list and then type in your answer.

9. Mark that you certify all information is accurate.

10. You can choose the option to have email reminders for lobby filing deadlines sent to you. You may opt out at any time in your “Settings”.

11. Captcha - Mark the box that says, “I’m not a robot”.

12. Write down your account information or print a copy of the screen and keep this information for future reference. Be sure to keep track of your username and password for accessing your account.

13. When finished, click on “Create Account” at the bottom of the screen. You will now be able to log in using your username and password. You will use your same account for any time that you use the online lobby system.

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Change Contact or Account Information (see also “Amend Forms”)

Once a change is made, subsequent forms will show the change as well.

• To change a Lobbyist address, phone number, or name, this can be done when filing or amending a Form A, B, B-B, D, E, or F.

• To change a Principal address, phone number, or name, this can be done when filing or amending a Form A, C, C-C, E, or F.    

• To change a password, email address, or security questions/answers associated with an account, these changes can be made in the “Settings” in the upper right of the screen.

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Amend Forms

• All forms can be amended by logging in, pulling up that specific form, making changes, and resubmitting it.
• Once a change is made on a form, subsequent forms will show the change as well.
• If you need to change a quarter or a year on a form, these particular changes will need to be done by a tech person so you will need to contact the Lobby Clerk at lobby@leg.ne.gov or (402) 471-2608 and let them know.

1. Log into your account.
2. Choose the form on the left that you need to amend.

• If you want to amend Form A-R, you will need go into Form A which is automatically filled in with the information from your A-R.
• To amend a registration form before it is paid for, go into the “Pay Fees” section in the upper left of the screen and click on the pencil icon to the right of the pending registration you wish to amend and make any changes as needed.)

3. Fill in the year of the form you need to make changes to.
4. Mark the quarter if applicable.
5. Mark the "Amended…" box.
6. Select the Principal (if you have more than one or unless you are amending Form C).
7. Make changes as needed.
8. Mark the box that you certify all information is accurate.
9. “Sign” the form with your name and account password.
10. Click on “Submit”.

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Registration/Renewal

• Lobbyists must register for each Principal for whom they going to lobby on behalf of. (Principals do not have to register.)
• Use either “Form A - Registration” or “Form A-R - Registration Renewal” depending on which pertains to your situation.
• Registrations automatically expire at the end of December 31st of every year and need to be renewed in order to continue lobbying.

Form A - Registration

You will need to fill out “Form A - Registration” if you are registering to lobby for a Principal for the first time or if you did not renew your registration before it expired at the end of the calendar year for which you were previously registered.

1. Log into your Lobbyist account.
2. Select “Form A - Registration” on the left side.
3. Fill in the year in which you will be lobbying.
4. Mark whether you are compensated or not compensated. (If you are a salaried employee of your Principal, you are a compensated Lobbyist.)
5. The Lobbyist name and address will automatically populate. If you need to make any changes to the Lobbyist name or contact information, you can do so now.
6. Choose the Principal from the drop-down list. The Principal will appear in the drop-down list as long as the Principal has an account created and the accounts have been properly linked. (If you need make any changes to the Principal contact information, you can do so now. To make changes to a Principal name, this can be done in the settings when logged in to the Principal account or when filing or amending a Form C or C-C.)
7. Continue to fill out the form accordingly.

• (Note: For the “AMOUNTS GIVEN” section - do not use special characters like a $ and if a compensated Lobbyist enters any value that does not include a number greater than zero for the basis of their compensation - per month, per year, etc. - they will not be able to submit the their form- unless they are employed with the Principal, then they can select “Percentage of salary”.)

8. When the form is complete, mark the box that you certify all information is accurate.
9. “Sign” the form with your name and account password.
10. Click on “Continue” and you can proceed to pay the registration fee which will complete the registration process.

Form A-R - Registration Renewal

• You can use “Form A-R - Registration Renewal” only if you are renewing a registration that has not expired.
• Form A-R completed online along with registration payment are due by December 31st.
• You can renew several Principals on a Form A-R or you can submit more than one Form A-R.

1. Log into your Lobbyist account.
2. Select “Form A-R - Registration Renewal” on the left.
3. Choose a Principal.
4. Enter the amounts given.

• (Note: For the “AMOUNTS GIVEN” section - do not use special characters like a $ and if a compensated Lobbyist enters any value that does not include a number greater than zero for the basis of their compensation - per month, per year, etc. - they will not be able to submit the Form A-R - unless they are employed with the Principal, then they can select “Percentage of salary”.)

5. Click “Add” and the Principal will be listed on the form.
6. If you wish to add another Principal, click the plus “+” button and the pop-up will open above and you can select another Principal. To remove a Principal, you can click on the minus “-“ button.
7. When the form is complete, mark the box that you certify all information is accurate.
8. “Sign” the form with your name and account password.
9. Click on “Continue” and you can proceed to pay the registration fee which will complete the registration process.

Note that once a Form A-R is submitted, if you have more than one Principal, the form is automatically split into separate registrations for each Principal. (These registrations can be amended individually in the “Pay Fees” section if needed.)

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Pay Registration Fee(s)

Once you have completed your registration(s) and/or renewal(s) online, the registration fee(s) can be paid by either using a credit card online or by submitting a check to the Clerk of the Legislature’s Office.

• Note that if you need to amend a registration before it is paid for, you can go into the “Pay Fees” section in the upper left of the screen and click on the pencil icon to the right of the pending registration you wish to amend.

• Paying by Credit Card - Accepted cards are Visa, MasterCard, and Discover.

1. Log into your account. (Either the Lobbyist or Principal can pay for a registration from their account.)
2. Click on “Pay Fees” in the upper left of the screen.
3. Checkmark next to the registration(s) you want to pay for. (If you have more than one registration, you can pay for them all at one time by marking them all.)
4. Click on “Make Payment” in the lower left and you will be directed to the site in which you will enter your payment information.
5. Once you have paid, you can view your payment history and print a receipt by clicking on “Receipts” in the upper part of the screen. A receipt is also automatically emailed to the email address associated with the Lobbyist account. 

• Paying by Check 

• Checks need to be processed through the Clerk of the Legislature’s Office.
• You can pay for multiple registrations with a single check.
• Make checks payable to the “State of Nebraska”.
• Submit checks to:

Clerk of the Legislature

Lobby Registration

State Capitol, Room 2014

PO Box 94604

Lincoln, NE 68509-4604

• Note: Your registration will become effective on the date in which both the registration is completed online and the check is received - whichever is later.  (This becomes particularly important when using Form A-R to renew a registration that expires December 31st.)

• You can view your payment history by logging into your account and clicking on “Receipts” in the upper left of the screen.  

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Form B - Lobbyist Quarterly Report

• All Lobbyists who are not exempt must file a “Form B - Lobbyist Quarterly Report” every quarter.
• A Form B must be submitted for each Principal the Lobbyist represents.
• Form B’s are due within 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter. 

1. Log into your Lobbyist account.
2. Choose “Form B - Lobbyist Quarterly Report” on the left side.
3. Fill in the year the report applies to.
4. Mark the quarter for which the report is for.
5. Select the Principal from the drop-down list.
6. Complete the rest of the form accordingly. 

• (If needed, you can save the form to work on later by clicking on the “Save” button at the bottom of the form. To access the saved form, click on the type of form on the left that you want to pull up and you can use the “Load” button that appears at the top of the form or select the session, quarter, and principal and it will load the saved form for you.)

7. When the form is complete, mark the box that you certify all information is accurate.
8. “Sign” the form with the Lobbyist name and account password.
9. Click on “Submit”.
10. A message will display letting you know the form was successfully filed.

Note:  It is a good idea to check that your form has been filed. Click on “View Filed Forms” on the left side or navigate to www.nebraskalegislature.gov and choose “For Lobbyists” on the left side. Select “View Lobbyist and Principal Reports” and you can look up filings according to Lobbyist or Principal depending on the report you want to view.

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Form C - Principal Quarterly Report

• All Principals who are not exempt must file a “Form C - Principal Quarterly Report” every quarter.
• Only one Form C can be submitted for each Principal.
• Make sure that amounts of all Lobbyists associated with the Principal are included if there is more than one Lobbyist representing the Principal.
• Form C’s are due within 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter. 

1. Log into the Principal account.
2. Choose “Form C - Principal Quarterly Report” on the left side.
3. Fill in the year the report applies to.
4. Mark the quarter for which the report is for.
5. The names of the registered Lobbyists that pertain to the quarter in which the report is being filed for will automatically be populated.
6. Complete the rest of the form accordingly.

• (If needed, you can save the form to work on later by clicking on the “Save” button at the bottom of the form. To access the saved form, click on the type of form on the left that you want to pull up and you can use the “Load” button that appears at the top of the form or select the session, quarter, and principal and it will load the saved form for you.)

7. When the form is complete, mark the box that you certify all information is accurate.
8. “Sign” the form with the Principal name and account password.
9. Click on “Submit”.
10. A message will display letting you know the form was successfully filed.  

Note:  It is a good idea to check that your form has been filed. Click on “View Filed Forms” on the left side or navigate to www.nebraskalegislature.gov and choose “For Lobbyists” on the left side. Select “View Lobbyist and Principal Reports” and you can look up filings according to Lobbyist or Principal depending on the report you want to view.

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Form D - Statement of Activity

• All Lobbyists must file a “Form D - Statement of Activity” for each Principal they represent, regardless of whether they are exempt or do not have activities to report. (Principals do not need to file a Form D.)
• “Activity” means legislation upon which a Lobbyist acted on behalf of a Principal. This includes identification by number of any bill, resolution, amendment, etc. and their final disposition taken (support, oppose, or neutral).
• Activities can be added/deleted/edited in the “Edit Activities” of your account anytime throughout the duration of session.
• Form D’s are due within 45 days after the end of session.

1. Log into your account.
2. Activity or no activity:

• If you have activity to report, click on “Edit Activities” in the upper part of the screen. (This will need to be filled out before you can submit your Form D.)
• If you had no activity, skip to step 6.

3. Select the Principal.
4. Type in your activity information. You need to type “LB” or “LR” with the number. The one-liner will update automatically. You should only list your final disposition for legislation - support, oppose, or neutral.
5. Click the “+ Add” button or press “Enter” to save each activity item. Bills will appear in correct numerical order when the Form D is submitted. (“Export to CSV” means it will put all your activity information into a spreadsheet.)

• To copy activities to other accounts:

a) You need to be logged into the account in which you want to copy FROM.  

b) Go into “Edit Activities”.

c) Select whose Form D you wish to copy FROM or select “All”.  

d) Click on the "Copy Activities" button.

e) You will need to choose who you want to copy TO and enter the username and

    password for them.

 f) Click on “Find User” and you should see a list of all Lobbyists or Principals

    relating to that account. Choose which or all that you wish to copy to and the  

    activities will be copied.  

6. When you are ready to submit your Form D, click on “Form D - Statement of Activity”.
7. Fill in the year the report applies to.
8. Select the Principal.

• If you had activity for the session, your activity information will automatically fill in from the “Edit Activities” section.
• If you had no activity for the session, on the Form D you can check the box “No formal position(s) taken” and the following statement will appear on your online form: “No formal position(s) taken.”

9. When the form is complete, mark the box that you certify all information is accurate.
10. “Sign” the form with your name and account password.
11. Click on “Submit”.
12. A message will display letting you know the form was successfully filed.

Note:  It is a good idea to check that your form has been filed. Click on “View Filed Forms” on the left side or navigate to www.nebraskalegislature.gov and choose “For Lobbyists” on the left side. Select “View Lobbyist and Principal Reports” and you can look up filings according to Lobbyist or Principal depending on the report you want to view.

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Form E - Exemption Statement (for non-compensated Lobbyists)

If you are “not compensated” and do not expect to receive any lobbying receipts or make any lobbying expenditures, Lobbyists (and Principals if applicable) can be exempt from filing quarterly reports by filing a “Form E - Exemption Statement”. (Note:  Exempt Lobbyists are still required to file a “Form D - Statement of Activity” after session.)

Once your registration is submitted and the fee is paid, you can file a Form E. 

1. Log into your account.
2. Choose “Form E - Exemption Statement” on the left side.
3. Fill in the year.
4. Select the Principal.
5. Mark the exemption description that applies to your situation - Exemption for Lobbyist and Principal or Exemption for Lobbyist Only.
6. When the form is complete, mark the box that you certify all information is accurate.
7. “Sign” the form with your name and account password.
8. Click on “Submit”.
9. A message will display letting you know the form was successfully filed

• Note that if there is a gap in days between the filing of your registration and filing of Form E, you may still need to file a quarterly report for the quarter(s) the Form E does not cover.
• The Form E does not have to be filed each year and will carry over as long as the registration is renewed before it expires at the end of the calendar year.
• If at any time you begin to receive compensation or make lobbying expenditures, then within five days of doing so, you will need to file an amended Registration Form A accompanied by the payment for the additional registration fee of $185.00.)

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Form F - Termination Statement

If you need to terminate a registration before it automatically expires at the end of the calendar year, you can file a “Form F - Termination Statement”.

1. Log into your account.
2. Choose “Form F - Termination Statement” on the left side.
3. Fill in the year.
4. Select the Principal.
5. Mark the termination description that applies to your situation.
6. When the form is complete, mark the box that you certify all information is accurate.
7. “Sign” the form with your name and account password.
8. Click on “Submit”.
9. A message will display letting you know the form was successfully filed

Make sure you also file any necessary reports such as the “Form D - Statement of Activity” if you have not already and if you are terminating in the middle of a quarter, you may need to submit a quarterly report for that quarter as well if applicable.

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Questions 

• If you have questions using the online lobby registration and reporting system, you can contact the Lobby Clerk at lobby@leg.ne.gov or (402) 471-2608.

• For questions regarding Lobbying Rules and Regulations: 

• You can refer to the online guide published by the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission at http://www.nadc.nebraska.gov - choose “Publications” on the left and then select “Lobbying Guidelines Brochure”.
• You can contact the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission at (402) 471-2522.

7/20/2018