The first legislation requiring the registration of lobbyists was enacted in 1938 by the General Assembly. The Virginia Advisory Legislative Council conducted a study from 1962 to 1964 which resulted in the adoption by the General Assembly of Chapter 2.1 of Title 30 (§§ 30-28.1 to 30-28.11 et seq.). Several organizational and procedural changes have restructured the operation of State government and the Legislature over the past decade. Society's complexity, and increasing governmental regulation at all levels of the affairs of individuals, associations and corporations of all types, have produced an ever greater need for citizens to have their views represented through various interest groups. A a result, there has been a substantial increase in the number and activities of persons seeking to communicate their views to the General Assembly.

The need for - another review of the statutory - regulation of lobbyists and lobbying was recognized in 1975 by the General Assembly which passed Senate Joint Resolution No. 16.

The Lobbyist Study Commission was comprised of the following distinguished persons: the Chairman of the House Rules Committee, John Warren Cooke, Mathews; the Chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, Edward E. Willey, Richmond; the Chairman of the Senate General Laws Committee, Adelard L. Brault, Fairfax; one Senate member at large, Frederick T. Gray, Chesterfield; the Chairman of the House General Laws Committee, Thomas W. Moss, Jr., Norfolk; three House members, Ralph L. Axselle, Jr., Henrico, J. Marshall Coleman, Staunton, and Ira M. Lechner, Arlington; and five gubernatorial appointees. The Governor appointed Joseph C. Carter, Jr., Richmond; Nathaniel J. Cohen, Virginia Beach; Edwin Meyer, Richmond; William F. Stone, Jr., Martinsville; and, Mrs. Pat. Watkins, Richmond.

Senator Gray served as Chairman of the Commission and Mr. Moss served as Vice Chairman. Denton Roberts; Attorney, and Constance D. Sprouse, Legislative Research Associate, provided assistance as staff for the Commission.

The Commission directed the staff to prepare a questionnaire on the present statutes and possible legislative changes thereto, which was mailed to all registered lobbyists, the members of the General Assembly and State agency heads. (The questionnaire and the compilation of responses are included herein as Appendix 1.) Additional information was gathered at a public hearing held in Richmond at which time the following persons testified: T. Rawls Jones, Common Cause of Virginia; R. S. Gillis, Jr., State Chamber of Commerce; Julian Carper, State AFL-CIO; Andrew McCutcheort, Reynolds Metals Company; Mrs. Earl Meese, Virginia League of Women Voters; Walter Ayres, Virginia Agri-Business Council; John B. Boatwright, Jr., Virginia Railway Association; Robert T. Barton, Jr., former member of the House of Delegates and lobbyist; Daniel R. Wilkinson, Virginia Food Dealers Association; R. F. Nelson, Virginia Travel Council; Paul M. Shuford, lobbyist; C. H. Taylor, Virginia Manufacturers' Association; and, Mrs. Pat Perkinson, Secretary of the Commonwealth. The Commission also received written testimony from Thomas J. Rothrock and Robert E. Washington, members of the House of Delegates; Claiborne D. Gregory, Virginia Petroleum Industries; and, J. Ronald Nowland, Virginia Automobile Dealers Association.