Hired Guns
State Legislator Revolving Door Provisions

WASHINGTON, March 1, 2006 — Many state legislatures seek to mitigate the insider-advantage former legislators have once they leave office by requiring a "cooling-off" period before former legislators can become lobbyists:

StateRevolving Door RuleLength of BanNotes
AlabamaY2 year 
AlaskaY1 year 
ArizonaY1 year 
ArkansasNN/AApproved a provision in 2005 that prohibits legislators from becoming lobbyists in the same session in which they leave office, but lets them become lobbyists in the next session
CaliforniaY1 year 
ColoradoNN/A 
ConnecticutY1 year 
DelawareNN/A 
FloridaY2 year 
GeorgiaY1 yearPassed law in 2005 that will go into effect in January 2007
HawaiiY1 year 
IdahoNN/A 
IllinoisNN/A 
IndianaNN/AConsidered a law in 2005
IowaY2 year 
KansasY1 year 
KentuckyY2 year 
LouisianaY2 year 
MaineNN/A 
MarylandY1 year 
MassachusettsY1 year 
MichiganNN/AProhibited legislators from becoming lobbyists in the same session in which they leave office, but lets them become lobbyists in the next session; considering a "true" cooling-off period in 2006
MinnesotaNN/A 
MississippiY1 year 
MissouriNN/A 
MontanaNN/AConsidered a law in 2005
NebraskaNN/A 
NevadaNN/A 
New HampshireNN/A 
New JerseyY1 yearEnacted a law in second half of 2004
New MexicoNN/AHas a cooling-off period for other officials that specifically exempts state legislators
New YorkY2 year 
North CarolinaY6 monthsPassed a law in 2005 that will take effect in 2007
North DakotaNN/A 
OhioY1 year 
OklahomaNN/AConsidered a law in 2005
OregonNN/A 
PennsylvaniaY1 year 
Rhode IslandY1 year 
South CarolinaY1 year 
South DakotaY1 year 
TennesseeY1 yearPassed a law in February 2006
TexasNN/A 
UtahNN/A 
VermontNN/A 
VirginiaY1 year 
WashingtonY 1 year 
West VirginiaNN/A 
WisconsinNN/AHas a cooling-off period for other officials that specifically exempts state legislators
WyomingNN/A 

Return to States Outpace Congress in Upgrading Lobbying Laws

Correction: The correct number of states with a one-year revolving door provision is 19. New Mexico does not have a one-year cooling-off period before legislators can become lobbyists, as the Center previously reported, which brings the total down one from 20. In fact, legislators are specifically exempted from the state revolving door provision that applies to other public officials.