49-1480.

Lobbyist; registration; application; contents; Chinese military company; consultant; filing and disclosure, required; civil penalty.

(1) Every person employed, retained, or authorized as a lobbyist shall, before commencing any lobbying activity:

(a) File an application with the Clerk of the Legislature for registration as a lobbyist, and if the clerk is satisfied that the application has been properly prepared the registration shall be deemed to be complete. The application shall be on a form prescribed by the clerk and approved by the Executive Board of the Legislative Council, and shall include as a minimum the following:

(i) The name, permanent residence address, and office address of the lobbyist;

(ii) The name and address of the principal of such lobbyist;

(iii) The nature of the business of such principal and the amounts or sums given or to be given the lobbyist as compensation or reimbursement for lobbying. A lobbyist who is salaried or retained by a principal need only report that portion of compensation or reimbursement reasonably attributable to lobbying;

(iv) A description of the business activity of the lobbyist;

(v) An identification of the matters on which the principal or lobbyist expects to lobby;

(vi) If the principal is a Chinese military company, an affirmative acknowledgment by the lobbyist that such lobbyist is lobbying on behalf of, and thereby acting as an agent of, a foreign adversary of the United States;

(vii) If the principal is an industry, trade, or professional association, a specific description of the industry, trade, or profession represented by the principal and the names and addresses of its officers;

(viii) If the principal is not an industry, trade, or professional association, a specific description of the interests and groups represented by the principal and the names and addresses of its officers; and

(ix) The name and address of any official in the legislative or executive branch, and of any members of any such official's staff or immediate family, who are employed by the lobbyist or any person acting on behalf of such lobbyist if such information is known or reasonably should have been known to the lobbyist.

(b) If any such lobbying activity is on behalf of a Chinese military company, disclose that such Chinese military company is a foreign adversary of the United States. For purposes of this subdivision (b), lobbying activity includes, but is not limited to, lobbying by means of telephone, electronic mail, United States mail or other mail delivery service, in-person meetings, or testimony at legislative hearings.

(2)(a) Every person employed, retained, or authorized as a consultant for a Chinese military company shall, before commencing any influencing activity in Nebraska for such Chinese military company:

(i) File with the commission, on a form prescribed by the commission, information that shall include as a minimum, the following:

(A) The name, permanent residence address, and office address of the consultant;

(B) The name and address of the Chinese military company represented by such consultant;

(C) A description of the business activity of the consultant;

(D) An identification of the matters on which the consultant expects to conduct influencing activity on behalf of such Chinese military company;

(E) An affirmative acknowledgment by the consultant that such consultant is influencing on behalf of, and thereby acting as an agent of, a foreign adversary of the United States; and

(F) The name and address of any official in the legislative or executive branch, and of any members of any such official's staff or immediate family, who are employed by the consultant or any person acting on behalf of such consultant if such information is known or reasonably should have been known to the consultant; and

(ii) Disclose that such Chinese military company is a foreign adversary of the United States.

(b) For purposes of this subsection, influencing activity includes, but is not limited to, influencing by means of telephone, electronic mail, United States mail or other mail delivery service, or in-person meetings.

(3) Any person who violates subdivision (1)(a)(vi) or (1)(b) or subsection (2) of this section shall be subject to a civil penalty of one hundred thousand dollars for each violation. For any subsequent violation, the civil penalty shall be increased by one hundred thousand dollars more than the previously assessed penalty, not to exceed one million dollars per violation. All penalties collected under this section shall be remitted to the State Treasurer for distribution in accordance with Article VII, section 5, of the Constitution of Nebraska.

(4) For purposes of this section, Chinese military company has the same meaning as in section 1260H of Public Law 116-283, as such section existed on April 1, 2025, and includes any subsidiary of a Chinese military company or any company owned or controlled, in whole or in part, by a Chinese military company.