Lobbyists will prepare to dive head first into the new House rules and regulations which will vastly alter their work in the upcoming legislative session via training sessions set up by the Florida House, Speaker Corcoran's office announced Thursday.
Lawmakers passed a sweeping set of rule changes during the House's organization session in November, with several of those changes directly affecting lobbyists, who wield large amounts of power in the legislative process.
According to the new House rules, lobbyists will have some limitations for the 2016-2018 legislative sessions.
Gone are the days of lobbyists texting lawmakers while they're on the House floor -- and gone are the days of legislators flying in lobbyists private jets. Both will be strictly off limits.
Legislators also won't be allowed to become lobbyists for six years after leaving office, putting a pause on the ambitions of many former lawmakers hoping to continue directly influencing the legislative process.
To help lobbyists transition into these roles, the House will be holding training sessions Dec. 13 and 14 in Tallahassee.
The lobbyist training will cover contract disclosure requirements for lobbyists who represent public entities as well as other rules.
"The Rules are in effect now, and many lobbyists are submitting issue disclosures and working with House members to prepare Appropriations Project Requests," Corcoran wrote to lobbyists Thursday. "We hope you are able to attend one of the training seminars to answer questions that arise as you operate within these new rules."
The House will also have livestream and YouTube videos as well as a public crowdsourcing to ensure ethics compliance.
Yet while Corcoran and the House have vowed to crack down on special interests, lobbyists will still play a different ball game in the Senate, which has not adopted the rules.
Senate President Joe Negron said his chamber would not adopt certain provisions like making project items as stand-alone bills.
"We shouldn't put ourselves in a straitjacket," Negron said last month. "The Capitol should always be open for business."
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
