87R8120 JG-D
By: Bettencourt, et al. S.B. No. 10
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the use by a county or municipality of public money for
lobbying activities.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 556, Government Code, is amended by
adding Section 556.0056 to read as follows:
Sec. 556.0056. RESTRICTIONS ON LOBBYING ACTIVITIES BY
COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES. (a) The governing body of a county or
municipality may not spend public money or provide compensation in
any manner to directly or indirectly influence or attempt to
influence the outcome of any legislation pending before the
legislature. This subsection does not prevent:
(1) an officer or employee of a county or municipality
from providing information for a member of the legislature or
appearing before a legislative committee at the request of the
member of the legislature or the committee;
(2) an elected officer of a county or municipality
from advocating for or against or otherwise influencing or
attempting to influence the outcome of legislation pending before
the legislature while acting as an officer of the county or
municipality; or
(3) an employee of a county or municipality from
advocating for or against or otherwise influencing or attempting to
influence the outcome of legislation pending before the legislature
if those actions would not require a person to register as a
lobbyist under Chapter 305.
(b) If a county or municipality engages in an activity
prohibited by Subsection (a), a taxpayer or resident of the county
or municipality is entitled to appropriate injunctive relief to
prevent any further activity prohibited by that subsection.
(c) A taxpayer or resident who prevails in an action under
Subsection (b) is entitled to recover from the county or
municipality, as applicable, the taxpayer's or resident's
reasonable attorney's fees and costs incurred in bringing the
action.
SECTION 2. Section 556.0056, Government Code, as added by
this Act, applies only to an expenditure or payment of money or
provision of some other compensation by a county or municipality
that is made on or after September 1, 2021.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.