| 1 | 1 | | 89R2723 CJD-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Menéndez, et al. S.B. No. 161 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to the completion of sexual harassment prevention training |
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| 10 | 10 | | and ethics training to register as a lobbyist. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Section 305.005(f), Government Code, is amended |
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| 13 | 13 | | to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (f) The registration must be written and verified and must |
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| 15 | 15 | | contain: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) the registrant's full name and address; |
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| 17 | 17 | | (2) the registrant's normal business, business phone |
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| 18 | 18 | | number, and business address; |
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| 19 | 19 | | (3) the full name and address of each person: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (A) who reimburses, retains, or employs the |
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| 21 | 21 | | registrant to communicate directly with a member of the legislative |
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| 22 | 22 | | or executive branch to influence legislation or administrative |
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| 23 | 23 | | action; and |
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| 24 | 24 | | (B) on whose behalf the registrant has |
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| 25 | 25 | | communicated directly with a member of the legislative or executive |
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| 26 | 26 | | branch to influence legislation or administrative action; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (4) the subject matter of the legislation or of the |
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| 28 | 28 | | administrative action that is the subject of the registrant's |
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| 29 | 29 | | direct communication with a member of the legislative or executive |
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| 30 | 30 | | branch and, if applicable, the docket number or other |
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| 31 | 31 | | administrative designation of the administrative action; |
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| 32 | 32 | | (5) for each person employed or retained by the |
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| 33 | 33 | | registrant for the purpose of assisting in direct communication |
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| 34 | 34 | | with a member of the legislative or executive branch to influence |
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| 35 | 35 | | legislation or administrative action: |
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| 36 | 36 | | (A) the full name, business address, and |
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| 37 | 37 | | occupation of the person; and |
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| 38 | 38 | | (B) the subject matter of the legislation or of |
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| 39 | 39 | | the administrative action to which the person's activities |
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| 40 | 40 | | reportable under this section were related and, if applicable, the |
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| 41 | 41 | | docket number or other administrative designation of the |
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| 42 | 42 | | administrative action; [and] |
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| 43 | 43 | | (6) the amount of compensation or reimbursement paid |
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| 44 | 44 | | by each person who reimburses, retains, or employs the registrant |
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| 45 | 45 | | for the purpose of communicating directly with a member of the |
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| 46 | 46 | | legislative or executive branch or on whose behalf the registrant |
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| 47 | 47 | | communicates directly with a member of the legislative or executive |
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| 48 | 48 | | branch; |
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| 49 | 49 | | (7) a certificate evidencing the registrant's |
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| 50 | 50 | | completion of a sexual harassment prevention training course in the |
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| 51 | 51 | | previous two years, as required by Section 305.0052; and |
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| 52 | 52 | | (8) a certificate evidencing the registrant's |
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| 53 | 53 | | completion of an ethics training course in the previous two years, |
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| 54 | 54 | | as required by Section 305.0053. |
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| 55 | 55 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 305, Government Code, is |
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| 56 | 56 | | amended by adding Sections 305.0052 and 305.0053 to read as |
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| 57 | 57 | | follows: |
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| 58 | 58 | | Sec. 305.0052. SEXUAL HARASSMENT PREVENTION TRAINING. (a) |
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| 59 | 59 | | Each individual required to register under this chapter shall every |
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| 60 | 60 | | two years: |
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| 61 | 61 | | (1) attend a sexual harassment prevention training |
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| 62 | 62 | | course approved by the commission; and |
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| 63 | 63 | | (2) submit to the commission a certificate evidencing |
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| 64 | 64 | | completion of the course. |
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| 65 | 65 | | (b) The certificate of completion must be in a form approved |
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| 66 | 66 | | by the commission. |
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| 67 | 67 | | (c) The commission shall adopt rules as necessary to |
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| 68 | 68 | | implement this section. |
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| 69 | 69 | | Sec. 305.0053. ETHICS TRAINING. (a) Each individual |
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| 70 | 70 | | required to register under this chapter shall every two years: |
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| 71 | 71 | | (1) attend an ethics training course approved by the |
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| 72 | 72 | | commission; and |
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| 73 | 73 | | (2) submit to the commission a certificate evidencing |
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| 74 | 74 | | completion of the course. |
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| 75 | 75 | | (b) The certificate of completion must be in a form approved |
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| 76 | 76 | | by the commission. |
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| 77 | 77 | | (c) The commission shall adopt rules as necessary to |
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| 78 | 78 | | implement this section. |
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| 79 | 79 | | SECTION 3. Not later than December 1, 2025, the Texas Ethics |
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| 80 | 80 | | Commission shall adopt rules as required by Sections 305.0052 and |
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| 81 | 81 | | 305.0053, Government Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 82 | 82 | | SECTION 4. Section 305.005, Government Code, as amended by |
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| 83 | 83 | | this Act, applies only to a registration required to be filed under |
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| 84 | 84 | | that section on or after January 1, 2026. |
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| 85 | 85 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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