The Broward School Board may sign off on a more restrictive policy for lobbyists Tuesday, following a board member's arrest that called lobbyists' influence into question.

The changes will let the board prohibit lobbyists who violate rules from doing work in the school district for up to two years. Softer penalties include giving lobbyists warnings and issuing suspensions shorter than two years.

The push for the new rules comes after federal investigators arrested board member Beverly Gallagher in a corruption probe in September. Gallagher, who has since been suspended and replaced on the board, is accused of taking kickbacks for influencing a construction selection committee.

Law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation have said they are looking into Gallagher's relationship with Neil Sterling, a former School Board member and major donor to current board members' campaigns who represents eight companies before the board. Investigators have questioned several board members about Sterling's influence on the board.

Last month, board member Stephanie Kraft drew scrutiny for revealing that her husband worked for two years for a company owned by Sterling that does not do business with the school district.

That news prompted the district to change its lobbyist disclosure form to require lobbyists to mention ties to relatives of board members.

The new rules the board will take up at Tuesday's meeting expand the definition of who is a lobbyist to include people who are not necessarily paid or hired to lobby.

Now, the district will consider a lobbyist anyone who tries to influence a decision for the ultimate economic gain of a company. For example, that would include company presidents and lawyers not typically registered as lobbyists.

People speaking for school groups like PTAs, public employees acting in their official capacity, individuals representing themselves and lawyers representing clients in formal proceedings would not be considered lobbyists.

The new policy still prohibits senior Broward schools employees and board members from lobbying the board for one year after leaving the district.

It also restates the district's ``cone of silence'' rules barring vendors from lobbying the School Board while a contract bid is out. Companies that violate that rule can be disqualified from the school district bidding process -- and if violations are found after a bid is awarded, the district can void the contract, the policy says.

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