Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB586 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		By: Watson, Burton S.B. No. 586
2		-	(In the Senate - Filed February 16, 2015; February 23, 2015,
3		-	read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;
4		-	April 29, 2015, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
5		-	Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; April 29, 2015,
6		-	sent to printer.)
7		-	Click here to see the committee vote
8		-	COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 586 By: Zaffirini
	2	+	Creighton
9	3
10	4
11	5		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
12	6		AN ACT
13	7		relating to the content of detailed reports filed by lobbyists.
14	8		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
15	9		SECTION 1. Section 305.0061, Government Code, is amended by
16	10		amending Subsections (a), (b), and (c), and adding Subsection (h)
17	11		to read as follows:
18	12		(a) If a registrant or a person on the registrant's behalf
19	13		and with the registrant's consent or ratification makes
20	14		expenditures that exceed $50 [60 percent of the amount of the
21	15		legislative per diem in] a day for transportation or lodging for a
22	16		member of the legislative or executive branch or for the immediate
23	17		family of a member of the legislative or executive branch, the
24	18		registrant shall also state the following on the report filed under
25	19		Section 305.006:
26	20		(1) the name of the member of the legislative or
27	21		executive branch in whose behalf the expenditure is made;
28	22		(2) the place and date of the transportation or
29	23		lodging; and
30	24		(3) the purpose of the transportation or lodging.
31	25		(b) If a registrant or a person on the registrant's behalf
32	26		and with the registrant's consent or ratification makes
33	27		expenditures that exceed $50 [60 percent of the amount of the
34	28		legislative per diem in] a day for food and beverages for a member
35	29		of the legislative or executive branch or for the immediate family
36	30		of a member of the legislative or executive branch or makes
37	31		expenditures that exceed $50 [60 percent of the amount of the
38	32		legislative per diem in] a day for entertainment for a member of the
39	33		legislative or executive branch or for the immediate family of a
40	34		member of the legislative or executive branch, the registrant shall
41	35		also state the following on the report filed under Section 305.006:
42	36		(1) the name of the member of the legislative or
43	37		executive branch in whose behalf the expenditure is made;
44	38		(2) the place and date of the expenditure; and
45	39		(3) the amount of the expenditure by the appropriate
46	40		category of the amount, as determined by the commission.
47	41		(c) If a registrant or a person on the registrant's behalf
48	42		and with the registrant's consent or ratification gives to a member
49	43		of the legislative or executive branch, or to the immediate family
50	44		of a member of the legislative or executive branch, a gift or an
51	45		award or memento, the value of which exceeds $50 per gift, award, or
52	46		memento, the registrant shall also state the following on the
53	47		report filed under Section 305.006:
54	48		(1) the name of the member of the legislative or
55	49		executive branch in whose behalf the expenditure is made;
56	50		(2) a general description of the gift, award, or
57	51		memento; and
58	52		(3) the amount of the expenditure by the appropriate
59	53		category of the amount, as determined by the commission.
60	54		(h) If more than one registrant or persons acting on behalf
61	55		of more than one registrant and with each registrant's consent or
62	56		ratification collaborate to make an expenditure described by
63	57		Section 305.006(b) together, each registrant shall report the total
64	58		value of the shared expenditure as required by Subsection (a), (b),
65	59		or (c), if the total value of the shared expenditure exceeds the
66	60		amount provided under Subsection (a), (b), or (c).
67	61		SECTION 2. Section 305.024(a), Government Code, as amended
68	62		by Chapters 92 (S.B. 1011) and 206 (H.B. 1508), Acts of the 79th
69	63		Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, is reenacted and amended to
70	64		read as follows:
71	65		(a) Except as provided by Section 305.025, a person
72	66		registered under Section 305.005 or a person on the registrant's
73	67		behalf and with the registrant's consent or ratification may not
74	68		offer, confer, or agree to confer:
75	69		(1) to an individual described by Section
76	70		305.0062(a)(1), (2), (3), (4), or (5):
77	71		(A) a loan, including the guarantee or
78	72		endorsement of a loan; or
79	73		(B) a gift of cash or a negotiable instrument as
80	74		described by Section 3.104, Business & Commerce Code; or
81	75		(2) to an individual described by Section
82	76		305.0062(a)(1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), or (7):
83	77		(A) an expenditure for transportation and
84	78		lodging;
85	79		(B) an expenditure or series of expenditures for
86	80		entertainment that in the aggregate exceed $500 in a calendar year;
87	81		(C) an expenditure or series of expenditures for
88	82		gifts that in the aggregate exceed $500 in a calendar year;
89	83		(D) an expenditure for an award or memento that
90	84		exceeds $500; or
91	85		(E) an expenditure described by Section
92	86		305.006(b)(1), (2), (3), or (6) unless:
93	87		(i) [(A)] the registrant is present at the
94	88		event; or
95	89		(ii) [(B)] the expenditure is for a gift of
96	90		food or beverages required to be reported under Section
97	91		305.006(b)(4) in accordance with Section 305.0061(e-1).
98	92		SECTION 3. Section 305.024, Government Code, is amended by
99	93		adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:
100	94		(d) The registrant shall notify a member of the legislative
101	95		or executive branch when the registrant has reported, as to that
102	96		member of the legislative or executive branch, expenditures that,
103	97		in the aggregate, equal the monetary limits for expenditures under
104	98		Subsection (a)(2).
105	99		SECTION 4. Section 305.031(a), Government Code, is amended
106	100		to read as follows:
107	101		(a) A person commits an offense if the person intentionally
108	102		or knowingly violates a provision of this chapter other than
109	103		Section 305.022, 305.024(d), or 305.028. An offense under this
110	104		subsection is a Class A misdemeanor.
111	105		SECTION 5. Sections 305.0061(g) and 305.024(c), Government
112	106		Code, are repealed.
113	107		SECTION 6. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
114	108		a gift, award, or memento given to or expenditures for
115	109		transportation, lodging, food, beverages, or entertainment made
116	110		for a member of the legislative or executive branch or the immediate
117	111		family of a member of the legislative or executive branch on or
118	112		after the effective date of this Act. A gift, award, or memento
119	113		given to or an expenditure for transportation, lodging, food,
120	114		beverages, or entertainment made for a member of the legislative or
121	115		executive branch or the immediate family of a member of the
122	116		legislative or executive branch before the effective date of this
123	117		Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the gift, award, or
124	118		memento was given, or the date the expenditure for transportation,
125	119		lodging, food, beverages, or entertainment was made, and the former
126	120		law is continued in effect for that purpose.
127	121		SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
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