| 1 | 1 | | 85R1198 ATP-F |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: Leach H.B. No. 1722 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | relating to lobbying activities engaged in by state employees. |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Section 556.005, Government Code, is amended by |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | follows: |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | (a) A state agency may not use appropriated money to employ, |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | as a regular full-time or part-time or contract employee, a person |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | who is: |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | (1) required by Chapter 305 to register as a lobbyist; |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | (2) required by a county, municipality, or special |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | district law to register as a lobbyist, as defined by the county, |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | municipality, or special district law; |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | (3) compensated to communicate with one or more |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | members of a local governmental entity to influence the entity's |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | policy or administrative action on behalf of another person, other |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | than a state agency, by whom the person is compensated or |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | reimbursed; |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | (4) required to register as a lobbyist under 2 U.S.C. |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | Section 1603; or |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | (5) compensated to communicate with one or more |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | members of a foreign governmental entity to influence legislative, |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | executive, or administrative action on behalf of another person by |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | whom the person is compensated or reimbursed. |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | (a-1) Except for an institution of higher education as |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | defined by Section 61.003, Education Code, a state agency may not |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | use any money under its control to employ or contract with an |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | individual who is required by Chapter 305 to register as a lobbyist. |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | conduct occurring on or after the effective date of this Act. |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | Conduct engaged in before the effective date of this Act is governed |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | by the law in effect when the conduct occurred, regardless of when a |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | person was compensated for the conduct, and the former law is |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | continued in effect for that purpose. |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
|---|