When Gov. Deval L. Patrick signed the Ethics, Lobbying and Campaign Finance Reform bill into law on July 1, many of us celebrated its measures to create a more open, honest government, and many of the changes were good and necessary.

However, many professionals, including nonprofit leaders, spoke out about the potential unintended consequences and confusion surrounding the lobbying provisions of the law.

The law now requires a person to register as a lobbyist if he or she engages in “lobbying” and makes at least one communication to a government employee. But since “lobbying” is now defined to include the behind-the-scenes time spent on planning, researching issues and preparing comments and testimony on a wide range of legislative and executive branch matters, the law will cover many more people that few would regard as lobbyists.

Nonprofit leaders from across Massachusetts will travel to the Statehouse (Hearing Room B-1) Monday, March 15, for the third annual Legislative Day to advocate for issues of interest to that sector and talk with elected officials about pieces of legislation being considered.

The program, which runs from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., includes several speakers, including Rep. Antonio Cabral, the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network’s legislator of the year, will address the nonprofit leaders, as well as representatives from the offices of Attorney General Martha Coakley and State Treasurer Tim Cahill. Pam Wilmot, executive director of Common Cause Massachusetts, will speak about the new ethics and lobbying regulations that recently went into effect, and Noah Berger, executive director of the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, will speak on the 2010 state budget.