By: Hickland H.B. No. 1313
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the use by a school district or a school district
employee of public funds 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. RESTRICTION ON USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS BY SCHOOL
DISTRICTS AND SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES FOR LOBBYING ACTIVITIES.
(a) In this section, "communicates directly with" and "member of
the legislative branch" have the meanings assigned by Section
305.002.
(b) A school district may not spend public funds:
(1) to hire an individual required to register as a
lobbyist under Chapter 305 for the purpose of lobbying a member of
the legislative branch; or
(2) to pay a nonprofit state association or
organization that:
(A) primarily represents political subdivisions;
and
(B) hires or contracts with an individual
required to register as a lobbyist under Chapter 305.
(c) A school district employee may not use public funds or
other district resources to communicate directly with a member of
the legislative branch or an employee of a member of the legislative
branch to influence legislation.
(d) If a school district or a school district employee
engages in an activity prohibited by Subsection (b) or (c), a
taxpayer or resident of the school district is entitled to
appropriate injunctive relief to prevent further activity
prohibited by those subsections and further use or expenditure of
public funds related to those activities.
(e) A taxpayer or resident who prevails in an action under
Subsection (d) is entitled to recover from the school district 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 the use or expenditure of public funds by
a school district or a school district employee that is made on or
after the effective date of this Act, including the use or
expenditure of public funds that is made under a contract entered
into on or after the effective date of this Act.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.