Sec. 943.1. Purpose and effect of regulations

(a) The purpose of these regulations is to provide those regulated by the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (commission), as well as the public, a consolidated resource for understanding and complying with the requirements of article 1-A of the Legislative Law (the Lobbying Act), as authorized by section 94 of the Executive Law and the Lobbying Act. These regulations also serve to codify the constitutional authority to regulate grassroots lobbying that was recognized in United States v. Harriss (347 U.S. 612) in 1954, and exercised by the commission’s predecessor agencies in accordance with the 1982 decision in New York State Temporary Commission on Lobbying v. CICU (534 F. Supp. 489).

(b) These regulations consider, reflect and, in part, are based upon and in many instances codify this commission’s and its predecessors’ earlier advisory opinions, guidelines, instructions, and practices. They also set forth the commission’s positions on issues not previously addressed by those authorities. Thus, individuals and entities subject to the Lobbying Act should consider any earlier precedents as superseded by these regulations in the event any such prior guidelines, opinions, instructions or practices are inconsistent with this Part.