SEC. 2.105. DEFINITIONS.

Whenever used in this Chapter 1, the following words and phrases shall be defined as provided in this Section 2.105:

“Activity expenses” means any expense incurred or payment made by a lobbyist or a lobbyist’s client at the behest of the lobbyist, or arranged by a lobbyist or a lobbyist’s client at the behest of the lobbyist, which benefits in whole or in part any: officer of the City and County; candidate for City and County office; aide to a member of the Board of Supervisors; or member of the immediate family or the registered domestic partner of an officer, candidate, or aide to a member of the Board of Supervisors. An expense or payment is not an “activity expense” unless it is incurred or made within three months of a contact with the officer, candidate, or Supervisor’s aide who benefits from the expense or payment, or whose immediate family member or registered domestic partner benefits from the expense or payment. “Activity expenses” include honoraria, consulting fees, salaries, and any other thing of value totaling more than $25 in value in a consecutive three-month period, but do not include political contributions.

“Agency” shall mean a unit of City government that submits its own budget to the Mayor and Board of Supervisors pursuant to Article IX of the City Charter.

“Candidate” shall have the same meaning as set forth in Section 1.104 of this Code.

“Client” means the person for whom lobbyist services are performed by a lobbyist.

“Committee” shall be defined as set forth in the California Political Reform Act, California Government Code section 81000, et seq.

“Contact lobbyist” means any individual who (1) makes five or more contacts in a calendar month with officers of the City and County on behalf of the individual’s employer; or (2) makes one or more contacts in a calendar month with an officer of the City and County on behalf of any person who pays or who becomes obligated to pay the individual or the individual’s employer for lobbyist services. An individual is not a contact lobbyist if that individual is lobbying on behalf of a business of which the individual owns a 20% or greater share.

“Contribution” shall have the same meaning as set forth in the California Political Reform Act, California Government Code Section 81000, et seq.

“Controlled committee” shall have the same meaning as set forth in Section 1.104 of this Code, but shall not include any state committees.

“Dependent child” shall mean a child or stepchild of a public official, who is under 18 years old and whom the official is entitled to claim as a dependent on his or her federal tax return.

“Economic consideration” means any payments, fees, reimbursement for expenses, gifts, or anything else of value, provided that “economic consideration” does not include salary, wages or benefits furnished by a federal, state or local government agency.

“Employee” means any person who receives, reasonably expects to receive, or whose employer is obligated to provide, an Internal Revenue Service Form W-2 wage and tax statement.

“Employer” means any person who provides an Internal Revenue Service Form W-2 wage and tax statement to an employee who performs lobbyist services on behalf of that person.

“Expenditure lobbyist” means any person, other than any government entity, or officer or employee of a government entity acting in an official capacity, who, directly or indirectly, makes payments totaling $2,500 or more in a calendar month to solicit, request, or urge other persons to communicate directly with an officer of the City and County in order to influence local legislative or administrative action. Examples of the types of activities the payment for which can count toward the $2,500 threshold referred to in the previous sentence include but are not limited to public relations, media relations, advertising, public outreach, research, investigation, reports, analyses, and studies to the extent those activities are used to further efforts to solicit, request or urge other persons to communicate directly with an officer of the City and County. The following types of payments shall not be considered for the purpose of determining whether a person is an expenditure lobbyist: payments made to a registered contact lobbyist or the registered contact lobbyist’s employer for lobbyist services; payments made to an organization for membership dues; payments made by an organization to distribute communications to its members; payments made by a news media organization to develop and distribute its publications; and payments made by a client to a representative to appear in an adjudicatory proceeding before a City agency or department.

“Gift” shall be defined as set forth in the Political Reform Act, Government Code Section 81000 et seq., and the regulations adopted thereunder.

“Gift of travel” shall mean payment, advance, or reimbursement for travel, including transportation, lodging, and food and refreshment connected with the travel.

“Lobbyist” means a contact lobbyist or expenditure lobbyist.

“Lobbyist services” means services rendered for the purpose of influencing local legislative or administrative action, including but not limited to contacts with officers of the City and County of San Francisco.

“Local legislative or administrative action” includes, but is not limited to, the drafting, introduction, consideration, modification, enactment, defeat, approval, veto, granting or denial by any officer of the City and County of any resolution, motion, appeal, application, petition, nomination, ordinance, amendment, approval, referral, permit, license, entitlement to use or contract.

“Measure” shall have the same meaning as set forth in Section 1.104 of this Code.

“Officer of the City and County” means any officer identified in Section 3.203 of this Code, as well as any official body composed of such officers. In addition, for purposes of this Chapter, “officer of the City and County” includes (1) members of the Board of Education, Community College Board, First Five Commission, Law Library Board of Trustees, Local Agency Formation Commission, Health Authority Board, Housing Authority Commission, Parking Authority, Relocation Appeals Board, Successor Agency to the former Redevelopment Agency of the City and County of San Francisco, Oversight Board of the Successor Agency, Successor Agency Commission, Transportation Authority, Workforce Investment San Francisco Board as well as any official body composed of such officers, and any person appointed as the chief executive officer under any such board or commission; (2) the Zoning Administrator, (3) the City Engineer, (4) the County Surveyor, and (5) the Bureau Chief of the Department of Public Works’ Bureau of Street Use and Mapping.

“Person” means an individual, partnership, corporation, association, firm, labor union or other organization or entity, however organized.

“Public event” shall mean an event or gathering that any member of the public may attend, has been publicly announced and publicized in advance, and for which there is no admission cost or fee.

“Public hearing” means any open, noticed proceeding.

“State committee” shall mean a committee formed to support or oppose candidates for state office or state ballot measures.