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2-15.4   Municipal Lobbying Compliance Commission; Penalties and Enforcement.
   (A)   There shall be a Municipal Lobbying Compliance Commission (“Commission”) comprising five Commissioners to be appointed by the Mayor after a public hearing to be held by the Boston City Council, so long as one is an attorney with experience in public ethics law, the City Clerk, or their designee, the Boston City Council President or such other Councilor designated, from time to time, by the Boston City Council President, and two members selected at-large by the Mayor. The Boston City Council President and the City Clerk, or their designees, shall serve ex officio. The purpose of the Commission shall be to investigate and make findings, pursuant to the following provisions, relative to compliance with the Lobbyist Registration and Regulation Ordinance.
   (B)   All Commissioners, with the exception of the Boston City Council President and the City Clerk, shall serve coterminous with the Mayor and any vacancies shall be filled by the Mayor of the city for the unexpired term. The Commissioners shall annually elect a Commission Chair. Commissioners shall serve without compensation and shall be classified as Special Municipal Employees for purposes of the commonwealth’s Ethics Law, M.G.L. Chapter 268A.
   (C)   Subpoena power shall be exercised by the Chairperson of the Commission, or his or her designee, upon majority vote of the Commission. All proceedings under this Section shall be conducted pursuant to M.G.L. Chapter 30A.
   (D)   (1)   Within 30 days after completion of deliberations, the Commission shall publish a written report of its findings and conclusions. Upon a finding that there has been a violation, the Commission may issue an order:
         (a)   Requiring the violator to cease and desist such violation;
         (b)   Requiring the violator to file any report required pursuant to this Act;
         (c)   Suspending the violator for a specified period from engaging in any lobbying communications or revoking violator’s registration; and
         (d)   Requiring the violator to pay a civil penalty of not more than $300 per day for each violation.
      (2)   The Commission may file a civil action in superior court to enforce this order. The Commission shall order the City Clerk to issue and collect civil penalties on its behalf.
   (E)   The Commission shall automatically disqualify any person convicted of a felony in violation of M.G.L. Chapter 3, Chapter 55 or Chapter 268A from acting or registering as a lobbying agent for a period of ten years from the date of conviction.
   (F)   The Commission shall have authority to promulgate regulations for the administration of this act.
(CBC 1985 2-15.4; Ord. 2018 c.9 § 1)
2-15.5   Exemption from Regulations for Certain Public Employees.
   This Section shall not apply to employees or agents of the federal government or any Agency thereof, the commonwealth, or of a city, town, district or regional school district who are acting in their capacity as such employees or agents. This Section also shall not apply to any person requested to appear before the Boston City Council or a Committee thereof; provided that such person performs no other act to influence legislation; and provided further, that the name of such person be recorded in the official records of the Boston City Council or a Committee thereof.
(CBC 1985 2-15.5; Ord. 2018 c.9 § 1)