§ 120C-700. Persons exempted from this Chapter.
Article 7.
Exemptions.
§ 120C‑700. Personsexempted from this Chapter.
Except as otherwise providedin Article 8, the provisions of this Chapter shall not be construed to apply toany of the following:
(1)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â An individual solelyengaged in expressing a personal opinion or stating facts or recommendations onlegislative action or executive action to a designated individual and notacting as a lobbyist.
(2)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â A person appearingbefore a committee, commission, board, council, or other collective body whosemembership includes one or more designated individuals at the invitation orrequest of the committee or a member thereof and who does not act in anyfurther activities as a lobbyist with respect to the legislative or executiveaction for which that person appeared.
(3)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â A duly elected orappointed official or employee of the State, the United States, a county,municipality, school district, or other governmental agency, when acting solelyin connection with matters pertaining to the office and public duties, exceptfor a person designated as liaison personnel under G.S. 120C‑500. Forpurposes of this subdivision, an individual appointed as a county or cityattorney under Part 7 of Article 5 of Chapter 153A of the General Statutes orPart 6 of Article 7 of Chapter 160A of the General Statutes, respectively,shall be considered an employee of the county or city.
(4)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â A person performingprofessional services in drafting bills, or in advising and rendering opinionsto clients, or to designated individuals on behalf of clients, as to theconstruction and effect of proposed or pending legislative or executive actionwhere the professional services are not otherwise connected with thelegislative or executive action.
(5)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â A person who owns,publishes, or is an employee of any recognized news medium, while engaged inthe acquisition and publication of news or news and commentary on behalf ofthat recognized news medium.
(6)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Designatedindividuals while acting in their official capacity.
(7)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â A person respondingto inquiries from a designated individual and who does not act in any furtheractivities as a lobbyist in connection with that inquiry.
(8)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â A person who is apolitical committee as defined in G.S. 163‑278.6(14), that person'semployee, or that person's contracted service provider. (1933, c. 11, s. 7; 1975, c.820, s. 1; 1977, c. 697; 1991, c. 740, s. 1.1; 1993, c. 553, s. 3; 2005‑456,s. 1; 2006‑201, s. 18; 2007‑348, s. 16.)