Definitions
This is direct lobbying for the IRS.
What is communication with a government official or their staff to attempt to influence them on specific legislation?
I meet with my working group to make edits to draft legislation.
What is lobbying preparation (IRS).
I spend fifteen minutes on an email to a Councilmember asking them to vote against a bill.
Scheduling emails or phone calls.
What is an exception for both BEGA and the IRS?
What is communications with legislative and executive branch officials or agencies regarding their legislative and administrative decisions
I testify at a Council hearing on the Even More Secure DC Act.
What is direct lobbying (IRS).
I testify at a hearing at the Council.
Log the time spent on the testimony and prep for the IRS.
Testifying at a Council hearing.
What is an exception for BEGA, but not the IRS.
This is grassroots lobbying.
What is a communication with the general public that includes a call to action regarding legislation, such as “contact your Councilmember” or a method for doing so.
I do an IG live with a Councilmember about a bill in Congress to overturn a DC law, where we talk about the bill, the importance of the law, and why it is wrong for Congress to overturn it.
What is not lobbying.
I spend an hour compiling an email to the Mayor in opposition to a likely candidate for nomination as police chief.
Log the Mayor's name for BEGA.
I write a letter to a Senator in opposition to a bill that would strip 501(c)3 status from groups that criticize law enforcement.
What is an exception under the IRS for self-defense.
We also must track this for IRS lobbying.
Time spent on preparation or research for a direct or grassroots lobbying communication.
I spend several hours on a letter that we send to the Mayor about why the interim police chief is not a good pick for the permanent role.
What is BEGA lobbying.
A Council staffer emails me asking for research on contact visitation in jails and prisons for legislation they are drafting. I spend several hours compiling the research and send it.
Log the time for IRS. DOUBLE JEOPARDY: Why not for BEGA?
A written request from the chair of the Judiciary & Public Safety Committee for information that she will share with the rest of the committee.
What is an exception for both IRS and BEGA.
We must track this in case it reaches a threshold that would require us to register with Congress.
What is time spent on federal lobbying (preparation and contacts).
I meet with an organization and ask them to share information about evidence-based policies with five Senators.
What is not lobbying.
My colleague asks me to help compile research on police recruitment and retention for follow-up with Senate offices that we met with about bills in Congress to overturn DC laws.
Log the time for the IRS and flag that it is federal lobbying.
The time I spend writing a library article on drug decriminalization. Six months later, DCJL starts a campaign on drug decriminalization and includes the library article in an email to Council as evidence of why they need to change the law.
What is an IRS exception under safe harbor for later use for the time spent on the article (but the email itself would still be lobbying under both IRS and BEGA).