R 4.411 Definitions.

Rule 1. (1) As used in the act or these rules: (a) "Act" means Act No. 472 of the Public Acts of 1978, being S4.411 et seq. of the Michigan Compiled Laws. (b) "Communicating directly" means actual verbal conversations conducted in person or transmitted by electronic means, or written communications addressed to a public official, for the purpose of influencing legislative or administrative action. (c) "Elected or appointed public officials of state or local government means officials whose term of office is prescribed by statute, charter, ordinance, or the state constitution of 1963 or who serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority. (d) "Expenditures related to the performance of lobbying" and expenditures for lobbying includes all of the following expenditures of a lobbyist or lobbyist agent: (i) A payment made on behalf of a public official for the purpose of influencing legislative or administrative action. (ii) A payment made to influence legislative or administrative action. (iii) Actual expenses for lobbying other than travel expenses, whether received in the form of an advance or subsequent reimbursement. (iv) An expenditure for providing or using information, statistics, studies, or analysis in communicating directly with an official that would not have been incurred but for the activity of communicating directly. (e) "Honorarium" means a payment for speaking at an event, participating in a panel or seminar, or engaging in any similar activity. Free admission, food, beverages, and similar nominal benefits provided to a public official at an event at which he or she speaks, participates in a panel or seminar, or performs a similar service, and a reimbursement or advance for actual travel, meals, and necessary accommodations provided directly in connection with the event, are not payments. (f) "Interested person" means a lobbyist, lobbyist agent, or other person upon whom a requested declaratory ruling is legally binding and whose course of action is directly affected by the ruling. (g) "Petty cash transaction" means an expenditure of less than $5.00 for goods or services for which a receipt or proof of purchase is not normally available and was not obtained. (h) "State level boards and commissions" means those boards and commissions of statewide jurisdiction which are established by statute or the state constitution of 1963. (i) "Travel expense" means the cost of travel to visit and return from visiting a public official for the purpose of communicating with the public official, and the costs of meals and lodging away from home. (2) A term defined in the act has the same meaning when used in these rules.