{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-6.611","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 6.611","heading":"Definitions for code.","body":"As used in this code, unless the context requires otherwise:\n(1) \"Adversarial proceeding\" means a proceeding in which decisions are made based\nupon evidence presented as measured against established standards, with parties\nhaving the right to appeal the decision on the record to a court;\n(2) (a) \"Anything of value\" includes the following:\n1. A pecuniary item, including money, or a bank bill or note;\n2. A promissory note, bill of exchange, order, draft, warrant, check, or\nbond given for the payment of money;\n3. A contract, agreement, promise, or other obligation for an advance,\nconveyance, forgiveness of indebtedness, deposit, distribution, loan,\npayment, gift, pledge, or transfer of money;\n4. A stock, bond, note, or other investment interest in an entity;\n5. A receipt given for the payment of money or other property;\n6. A right in action;\n7. A gift, tangible good, chattel, or an interest in a gift, tangible good, or\nchattel;\n8. A loan or forgiveness of indebtedness;\n9. A work of art, antique, or collectible;\n10. An automobile or other means of personal transportation;\n11. Real property or an interest in real property, including title to realty; a\nfee simple or partial interest, present or future, contingent or vested,\nwithin realty; a leasehold interest; or other beneficial interest in realty;\n12. A rebate or discount in the price of anything of value unless the rebate\nor discount is made in the ordinary course of business to a member of\nthe public without regard to that person's status as a legislator;\n13. A promise or offer of employment; or\n14. Any other thing of value that is pecuniary or compensatory in value to a\nperson, or the primary significance of which is economic gain.\n(b) \"Anything of value\" does not include:\n1. A campaign contribution properly re ceived and reported, if reportable,\nas required under KRS Chapter 121;\n2. Compensation, food, beverages, entertainment, transportation, lodging,\nor other goods or services extended to a legislator by the legislator's\nprivate employer or by a person other t han a legislative agent or\nemployer;\n3. A usual and customary commercial loan made in the ordinary course of\nbusiness, without regard to the recipient's status as a legislator, and by a\nperson or institution authorized by law to engage in the business of\nmaking loans;\n4. A certificate, plaque, or commemorative token of less than one hundred\nfifty dollars ($150) value;\n5. Promotional items of less than fifty dollars ($50);\n6. Educational items;\n7. Informational items;\n8. The cost of attendance or participati on, and of food and beverages\nconsumed, at events:\na. To which all members of the Kentucky Senate or the Kentucky\nHouse of Representatives, or both, are invited;\nb. To which all members of a joint committee or task force of the\nKentucky Senate and the Kent ucky House of Representatives are\ninvited;\nc. To which a caucus of legislators approved as a caucus by the\nLegislative Research Commission is invited;\nd. Sponsored or coordinated by a state or local government entity,\nincluding a state institution of highe r education, provided that the\ncost thereof is covered by the state or local government entity or\nstate institution of higher education; or\ne. To which an individual legislator is invited that are held in -state,\nand for which the legislator receives prior approval from a\nmajority of the Legislative Research Commission;\n9. Gifts from a person related by blood or marriage or a member of the\nlegislator's household;\n10. A gift that:\na. Is not used; and\nb. No later than thirty (30) days after receipt, is returned to the donor\nor delivered to a charitable organization and is not claimed as a\ncharitable contribution for federal income tax purposes;\n11. The cost, paid, reimbursed, raised, or obtained by the Leg islative\nResearch Commission, for attendance or participation, and for food and\nbeverages consumed at, and funds, goods, and services provided for\nconducting events sponsored or coordinated by multistate or national\norganizations of, or including, state go vernments, state legislatures, or\nstate legislators if the attendance and expenditures are approved in\nadvance by the Legislative Research Commission;\n12. The cost of attendance or participation provided by the sponsoring\nentity, of lodging, and of food an d beverages consumed, at in -state\nevents sponsored by or in conjunction with a civic, charitable,\ngovernmental, trade association, or community organization;\n13. A gift or gifts from one member of the General Assembly to another\nmember of the General Assembly;\n14. Anything for which the recipient pays or gives full value; or\n15. Any service spontaneously extended to a legislator in an emergency\nsituation;\n(3) \"Associated,\" if used with reference to an organization, includes an organization in\nwhich an indiv idual or a member of the individual's family is a director, officer,\nfiduciary, trustee, agent, or partner, or owns or controls, in the aggregate, an interest\nof ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or more, or an interest of five percent (5%) or\nmore of the outstanding equity;\n(4) \"Business\" means any corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, firm, enterprise,\nfranchise, association, organization, self -employed individual, holding company,\njoint stock company, receivership, trust, professional service corpo ration, or any\nlegal entity through which business is conducted for profit;\n(5) \"Business associate\" includes the following:\n(a) A private employer;\n(b) A general or limited partnership, or a general or limited partner within the\npartnership;\n(c) A corporation that is family -owned or in which all shares of stock are closely\nheld, and the shareholders, owners, and officers of such a corporation;\n(d) A corporation in which the legislator or other person subject to this code has\nan investment interest, owns, o r has a beneficial interest in shares of stock\nwhich constitute more than:\n1. Five percent (5%) of the value of the corporation; or\n2. Ten thousand dollars ($10,000) at fair market value;\n(e) A corporation, business association, or other business entity in  which the\nlegislator or other person subject to this code serves as an agent or a\ncompensated representative;\n(6) \"Candidate\" means an individual who seeks nomination or election to the General\nAssembly. An individual is a candidate when the individual:\n(a) Files a notification and declaration for nomination for office with the\nSecretary of State; or\n(b) Is nominated for office by his or her party under KRS 118.105, 118.115,\n118.325, or 118.760;\n(7) \"Charitable organization\" means an organization described in 26 U.S.C. Sec. 170(c)\nas it currently exists or as it may be amended;\n(8) \"Child\" means the unemancipated minor daughter, son, stepdaughter, or stepson;\n(9) \"Commission\" means the Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission;\n(10) (a) \"Compensation\" means:\n1. An advance, salary, conveyance, forgiveness of indebtedness, deposit,\ndistribution, loan, payment, gift, pledge, or transfer of money; or\n2. A contract, agreement, promise, or other obligation for an advance,\nconveyance, forgiveness of indebtedness, depo sit, distribution, loan,\npayment, gift, pledge, or transfer of money for services rendered or to be\nrendered.\n(b) \"Compensation\" does not include reimbursement of expenses if:\n1. The reimbursement is equal to, or less than, the amount paid for the\nexpenses;\n2. Expense records are itemized; and\n3. No portion of the reimbursed expense is used to give anything of value\nto a legislator, candidate, or the spouse of a legislator or candidate;\n(11) \"Economic interest\" means an interest distinct from that of the general public in a\nstate purchase, sale, lease, contract, option, or other transaction or arrangement\ninvolving property or services in which a legislator may gain an economic bene fit\nof fifty dollars ($50) or more;\n(12) \"Employer\" means any person who engages a legislative agent and in the case of a\nbusiness other than a sole proprietorship or self -employed individual, it means the\nbusiness entity, and not an individual officer, di rector, or employee thereof, except\nwhen an officer, director, or employee makes an expenditure for which he or she is\nreimbursed by the business entity;\n(13) \"Engage\" means to make any arrangement, and \"engagement\" means any\narrangement, by which an indiv idual is employed or retained for compensation to\nact for or on behalf of an employer to lobby;\n(14) \"Ethical misconduct\" means any violation of the Kentucky Code of Legislative\nEthics;\n(15) (a) \"Expenditure\" means any of the following that is made to, at the request of,\nfor the benefit of, or on behalf of any member of the General Assembly, the\nGovernor, the secretary of a cabinet listed in KRS 12.250, or any member of\nthe staff of any of those officials:\n1. A payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit,  reimbursement, or gift\nof money, real estate, or anything of value, including, but not limited to,\nfood and beverages, entertainment, lodging, transportation, or honoraria;\n2. A contract, promise, or agreement, to make an expenditure; or\n3. The purchase, sale, or gift of services or any other thing of value.\n(b) \"Expenditure\" does not include a contribution, gift, or grant to a foundation or\nother charitable organization that is exempt from federal income taxation\nunder Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. \"Expenditure\" does not\ninclude the purchase, sale, or gift of services or any other thing of value that is\navailable to the general public on the same terms as it is available to the\npersons listed in this subsection;\n(16) \"Family member\" means a person:\n(a) Who is the spouse, parent, sibling, child, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-\nlaw, daughter-in-law, grandparent, or grandchild of an individual; or\n(b) Who is a member of the individual's household, and is dependent upon the\nindividual;\n(17) \"Filer\" means an individual who is required to file a statement of financial interests\npursuant to KRS 6.781;\n(18) (a) \"Financial transaction\" means a transaction or activity that is conducted or\nundertaken for profit and arises from the joint ownership , ownership, or part\nownership in common of any real or personal property or any commercial or\nbusiness enterprise of whatever form or nature between the following:\n1. A legislative agent, his or her employer, or a member of the immediate\nfamily of the legislative agent or his or her employer; and\n2. Any member of the General Assembly, the Governor, the secretary of a\ncabinet listed in KRS 12.250, or any member of the staff of any of the\nofficials listed in this subparagraph.\n(b) \"Financial transaction\" does not include any transaction or activity:\n1. Described in paragraph (a) of this subsection if it is available to the\ngeneral public on the same or similar terms and conditions; or\n2. Made or let after public notice and competitive bidding or contracts tha t\nare available on similar terms to other members of the general public.\n(19) \"Former legislator\" means a person who previously held a position as a legislator\nand who no longer holds that position;\n(20) \"Immediate family\" means an unemancipated child resi ding in an individual's\nhousehold, a spouse of an individual, or a person claimed by the individual as a\ndependent for tax purposes;\n(21) \"In-state\" means within the borders of Kentucky or outside Kentucky in a county\nthat is contiguous with the border of Kentucky;\n(22) \"Legislation\" means bills, resolutions, amendments, nominations, administrative\nregulations, and any other matter pending before the General Assembly or any of its\ninterim or statutory committees, or the executive approval or veto of any bill acted\nupon by the General Assembly;\n(23) (a) \"Legislative agent\" means any individual who is engaged:\n1. During at least a portion of hi s or her time to lobby as one (1) of his or\nher official responsibilities; or\n2. In lobbying activities as a legislative liaison of an association, coalition,\nor public interest entity formed for the purpose of promoting or\notherwise influencing legislation.\n(b) \"Legislative agent\" does not include:\n1. Any person who limits his or her lobbying activities to appearing before\npublic meetings of legislative committees, subcommittees, or task\nforces, or public hearings or meetings of public agencies;\n2. A private citizen who receives no compensation for lobbying and who\nexpresses a personal opinion; or\n3. A public servant acting in his or her fiduciary capacity as a\nrepresentative of his or her agency, college, university, or city, county,\nurban-county, consolidated local government, unified local government,\nor charter county government, except persons engaged by a de jure\nmunicipal corporation, such as the Kentucky Lottery Corporation or the\nKentucky Housing Corporation, institutions of higher education, or local\ngovernments, whose primary responsibility during sessions of the\nGeneral Assembly is to lobby;\n(24) \"Legislative interest\" means a substantial economic interest, distinct from that of\nthe general public, in one (1) or more legislative matters;\n(25) \"Legislative matter\" means any bill, resolution, nomination, or other issue or\nproposal pending before the General Assembly or any interim committee,\ncommittee, subcommittee, task force, or commission of the General Assembly;\n(26) \"Legislator\" means a member or member-elect of the General Assembly;\n(27) (a) \"Lobby\" means to promote, advocate, or oppose the passage, modification,\ndefeat, or executive approval or veto of any legislation by direct\ncommunication with any member of the General Assembly, the Governor , the\nsecretary of any cabinet listed in KRS 12.250, or any member of the staff of\nany of the officials listed in this paragraph.\n(b) \"Lobbying\" does not include:\n1. Appearances before public meetings of the committees, subcommittees,\ntask forces, and interim committees of the General Assembly;\n2. News, editorial, and advertising statements published in newspapers,\njournals, or magazines, or broadcast over radio or television;\n3. The gathering and furnishing of information and news by bona fide\nreporters, correspondents, or news bureaus to news media described in\nparagraph (b)2. of this subsection;\n4. Publications primarily designed for, and distributed to, members of bona\nfide associations or charitable or fraternal nonprofit corporations;\n5. Professional s ervices in drafting bills or resolutions, preparing\narguments on these bills or resolutions, or in advising clients and\nrendering opinions as to the construction and the effect of proposed or\npending legislation, if the services are not otherwise connected  with\nlobbying;\n6. The action of any person not engaged by an employer who has a direct\ninterest in legislation, if the person, acting under Section 1 of the\nKentucky Constitution, assembles together with other persons for their\ncommon good, petitions any official listed in this subsection for the\nredress of grievances, or other proper purposes; or\n7. The action of any natural person:\na. Whose official responsibilities do not include lobbying;\nb. Who is not compensated specifically for the purpose of lobbying;\nc. Who is an officer, managerial personnel, or an employee with\nspecialized knowledge or expertise of, a business, joint venture,\nsyndicate, estate, company, association, club, committee, or group\nof persons acting in concert which has a direct interes t in the\nspecific legislation; and\nd. Who participates in meetings or conversations while\naccompanying a legislative agent engaged by the employer or\norganization to lobby on the particular issue;\n(28) \"Person\" means an individual, proprietorship, firm, partnership, joint venture, joint\nstock company, syndicate, business, trust, estate, company, corporation, association,\nclub, committee, organization, or group of persons acting in concert;\n(29) \"Public servant\" means an elected or appointed officer or employee of a federal or\nstate agency; state institution of higher education; or a city, county, urban -county,\nor charter county government;\n(30) \"State agency\" means any department, office, commission, boar d, or authority\nwithin the executive department, and includes state -supported universities and\ncolleges but does not include local boards of education; and\n(31) \"Through others\" means a scheme, artifice, or mechanism, the sole purpose of\nwhich is to accomp lish by indirect means, using third parties, results which would\nbe unlawful under this code if accomplished directly between a legislator or\ncandidate and another person or entity.","path":["KRS Chapter 6"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=55534","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:48:24Z","sha256":"fb86cdece150628aacf71e37f6025431c15f23d0502359236807e58be7b8a548","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-6.610","next":"us-ky/krs-6.615"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}