When used in this Part:

(1)  “Ethics board” means the ethics body which has jurisdiction over elected officials under Chapter 15 of Title 42 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950.

(2)(a)  “Executive branch action” means any act by an executive branch agency or official to effectuate the public powers, functions, and duties of an executive branch official or an executive branch agency, including but not limited to any act in the nature of policymaking, rulemaking, adjudication, licensing, regulation, or enforcement; relative to contracts, requests for proposals, development of specifications, or engaging another person to perform a governmental function; to formulate, adopt, amend, or repeal any rule, as that term is defined in La. Rev. Stat. 49:951; to adopt, repeal, increase, or decrease any fee imposed on the affairs, actions, or persons regulated by an executive branch agency; or to affect the passage, defeat, or implementation of any legislation.

(b)  “Executive branch action” shall not mean any act by a licensed healthcare professional, or a person acting under a licensed healthcare professional’s direction, to diagnose, treat, or provide medical advice to an individual patient, including prescribing a drug or device for use by the patient; however, any action by the Medicaid Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics Committee shall be an “executive branch action” and, therefore, any pharmaceutical representative who engages in lobbying any member of the Medicaid Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics Committee for the purpose of inclusion of any product on the pharmacopoeia or formulary shall be required to register as a lobbyist pursuant to the provisions of this Part.

(3)  “Executive branch agency” or “agency”  means the state, and any state office, department, board, commission, institution, or any quasi-public entity created in the executive branch of state government by or pursuant to law or by or pursuant to the constitution, specifically including but not limited to the Public Service Commission.  The terms “executive branch agency” or “agency” shall not include any unit of the legislative or judicial branch of state government, local government, or any political subdivision of the state or any agency thereof; however, the terms “executive branch agency” or “agency” shall include any board or commission to which the governor appoints at least a majority of the membership of the board or commission.

(4)  “Executive branch official” or “official” means an elected official, an appointed official, or an employee in an executive branch agency.

(5)  “Expenditure” means the gift or payment of money or any thing of value for the purchase of food, drink, or refreshment for an executive branch official or for the spouse or minor child of an executive branch official and any gift or payment permitted by La. Rev. Stat. 42:1123(13) for the purpose of lobbying when the lobbyist or principal accounts, or would be expected to account, for the expenditure as an ordinary and necessary expense directly related to the active conduct of the lobbyist’s, his employer’s, or the principal’s trade or business.

(6)  “Lobbying” or “to lobby” means any direct act or communication with an executive branch official, the purpose of which is to aid in influencing an executive branch action.

(7)  “Lobbyist” means any person who acts in a representative capacity and makes an expenditure.

(8)  “Person” means an individual, partnership, committee, association, corporation, and any other organization or group of persons.

Acts 2004, No. 116, §2, eff. Jan. 1, 2005; Acts 2006, No. 527, §1, eff. June 22, 2006; Acts 2006, No. 748, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2007; Acts 2008, 1^st Ex. Sess., No. 13, §2, eff. Jan. 1, 2009; Acts 2008, 1^st Ex. Sess., No. 19, §3, eff. March 10, 2008; Acts 2008, No. 164, §2, eff. June 12, 2008, expires Dec. 31, 2008; Acts 2008, No. 164, §4, eff. Jan. 1, 2009; Acts 2008, No. 769, §2, eff. July 6, 2008.

NOTE:  See Acts 2004, No. 116, §§4 and 5, re implementation, administration, and effectiveness.

NOTE:  See Acts 2006, No. 748, §2, relative to application of Act.