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Information on the Federal Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA)

December 15, 2023

As ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å system faculty and staff continue planning 2024 activities including travel for conferences and advocacy trips to Washington, DC, it is important to remember our obligations under a federal law known as the Lobbying Disclosure Act or (LDA).

• Congress passed the LDA to promote transparency in federal lobbying as thousands of organizations seek to influence the decisions and actions of the federal government.
• The LDA does not just impact federal lobbying firms but essentially any organization that has dedicated lobbying efforts. 

Does this apply to ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å? Institutions of higher education that engage in federal lobbying, such as the ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å system, are required to comply with the requirements of the LDA. All ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å system faculty and staff that engage in lobbying in their official capacity as ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å employees are obligated under the LDA to report lobbying activities and expenses.

• Students are not subject to LDA requirements.
• Faculty and staff who contact federal officials in their personal or professional capacity do not have to report these activities. 

What exactly is lobbying? Generally speaking, lobbying is any oral, written, or electronic communication to certain federal officials (in Congress or federal agencies) regarding any aspect of federal legislation (including funding), rules, regulations, Executive Orders, programs, policies, confirmation, or position of the federal government. This includes any preparation or planning activities, research, and other background work intended to support lobbying. 

Learn More: The ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å system’s Office of Government Relations, Federal Relations team is tasked with ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å’s compliance with the LDA. A new Federal Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) Compliance website was recently created to provide information about faculty and staff obligations under the LDA and answer frequently asked questions.

• Any LDA or federal-related questions can be directed to John Latini (jalatini@alaska.edu), Executive Director of Federal Relations for the ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å system.