Online Filing Progress Update

Ohio Lobbying Activity Center

Online Filing Progress Update

Beginning in January 2009, the Office of the Legislative Inspector General will launch the Ohio Lobbying Activity Center (OLAC). The OLAC is an online filing system that will enable registered Agents/Lobbyists and their Employers to electronically register their lobbying engagements and file their tri-annual Activity and Expenditure Reports. This format will allow all filers to receive near instantaneous confirmation that their filing requirements have been received by the OLIG. Additionally, the new format will allow public access to all disclosed information provided by lobbyists and their employers. One of the features of the OLAC will be an ability to search and cross-reference this data in ways previously unavailable.

The implementation of the OLAC coincides with the statutory need to renew lobbying engagements. All current legislative engagements expire on 12/31/2008, followed by the executive agency and retirement system engagements expiring on 1/31/2009. The OLAC will replace the current method of reporting lobbying activity via the “Print My Statements” link found on www.ohiolobbying.com. AS PART OF THE TRANSITION FROM THE CURRENT “PRINT MY STATEMENTS” SYSTEM, ALL CURRENTLY REGISTERED AGENTS/LOBBYISTS SHOULD RENEW THEIR LOBBYING ENGAGEMENTS FOR THE 2009 – 2010 CYCLE VIA THE OLAC BY FEBRUARY 02, 2009. The Office of the Legislative Inspector General will at the outset continue to accept initial registration statements on paper, but the filer will have to download the form from the Blank Lobbying Forms link. Any registration renewal filed either electronically or in paper format will be considered timely filed if received by February 02, 2009.

All currently registered agents/lobbyists will be automatically set up in the new OLAC with a User Account. The OLIG hopes to mail USERNAME and TEMPORARY PASSWORD account information by December 15, 2008 to those individuals, allowing them to access the OLAC and the online Initial Registration Statements. Please confirm that your contact information on file with our office is correct by doing an agent search at www.ohiolobbying.com.

Beginning in December of 2008, and throughout the transition phase, the OLIG will be holding weekly tutorial sessions, open to all interested parties, to explain and demonstrate the OLAC. Our office will announce the beginning of these workshops and the schedule of workshops to be held via email reminders and postings to our website.

If you are not signed up to receive reminders; please send an email to and request to be added.

PLEASE BE ADVISED: The initial implementation of the OLAC will occur in early 2009 and cover lobbying registrations for January 1, 2009 and forward. All currently registered agents/lobbyists and their Employers for the 2007 – 2008 cycle should continue to use the “Print My Statements” link to file activity and expenditure reports for the May – August 2008 reporting period that was due September 30, 2008 and the September-December 2008 reporting period, due February 2, 2009.

The new on-line filing system found within the OLAC DOES NOT affect any reporting requirements or expenditure limitations found in O.R.C. §101.70 – §101.79; §121.60 - §121.69; or §101.90 - §101.99.