By: Davis of Harris (Senate Sponsor - Huffman) H.B. No. 3512
(In the Senate - Received from the House May 11, 2015;
May 12, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on State
Affairs; May 21, 2015, reported favorably by the following vote:
Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 21, 2015, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
COMMITTEE VOTE
YeaNayAbsentPNV
HuffmanX
EllisX
BirdwellX
CreightonX
EstesX
FraserX
NelsonX
SchwertnerX
ZaffiriniX
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to lobbying activities and the registration of lobbyists.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 305.002, Government Code, is amended by
adding Subdivision (2-a) to read as follows:
(2-a) "Communicates directly with a member of the
legislative or executive branch to influence legislation or
administrative action" or any variation of the phrase includes
establishing goodwill with the member for the purpose of later
communicating with the member to influence legislation or
administrative action.
SECTION 2. Section 305.003, Government Code, is amended by
adding Subsections (b-3) and (b-4) to read as follows:
(b-3) Subsection (a)(2) does not require a person to
register if the person spends not more than 26 hours, or another
amount of time determined by the commission, for which the person is
compensated or reimbursed during the calendar quarter engaging in
activity, including preparatory activity as defined by the
commission, to communicate directly with a member of the
legislative or executive branch to influence legislation or
administrative action.
(b-4) If a person spends more than eight hours in a single
day engaging in activity to communicate directly with a member of
the legislative or executive branch to influence legislation or
administrative action, the person is considered to have engaged in
the activity for only eight hours during that day for purposes of
Subsection (b-3).
SECTION 3. Section 305.003, Government Code, as amended by
this Act, applies only to a registration or registration renewal
required to be filed under Chapter 305, Government Code, on or after
the effective date of this Act. A registration or registration
renewal required to be filed under Chapter 305, Government Code,
before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in
effect on the date the registration or registration renewal is due,
and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
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