Bill Text: TX SB2329 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the authorization of expenditures for lobbying activities by certain political subdivisions and other public entities.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-21 - Referred to State Affairs [SB2329 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-SB2329-Introduced.html
| 86R8604 BRG-D | ||
| By: Creighton | S.B. No. 2329 | |
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| relating to the authorization of expenditures for lobbying | ||
| activities by certain political subdivisions and other public | ||
| entities. | ||
| 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. USE OF PUBLIC MONEY FOR LOBBYING ACTIVITIES. | ||
| (a) In this section: | ||
| (1) "Political subdivision" means: | ||
| (A) an appraisal district; | ||
| (B) a regional mobility authority; | ||
| (C) a transit authority; | ||
| (D) a regional tollway authority; | ||
| (E) a community college district; | ||
| (F) a river authority; | ||
| (G) any other political subdivision that imposes | ||
| a tax; | ||
| (H) any other political subdivision or special | ||
| district that has the authority to issue bonds, including revenue | ||
| bonds; or | ||
| (I) any other special purpose district. | ||
| (2) "Public entity" means: | ||
| (A) an institution of higher education, as | ||
| defined by Section 61.003, Education Code; or | ||
| (B) a publicly owned utility. | ||
| (b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), a political | ||
| subdivision or a public entity may not spend public money to | ||
| directly or indirectly influence or attempt to influence the | ||
| outcome of any legislation pending before the legislature. | ||
| (c) A political subdivision or a public entity may spend | ||
| public money to directly or indirectly influence or attempt to | ||
| influence the outcome of any legislation pending before the | ||
| legislature only if the expenditure is authorized by a majority | ||
| vote of the governing body of the political subdivision or public | ||
| entity in an open meeting of the governing body. The expenditure | ||
| must be voted on by the governing body as a stand-alone item on the | ||
| agenda at the meeting. | ||
| (d) If a political subdivision or public entity does not | ||
| comply with the requirements of this section, an interested party | ||
| is entitled to appropriate injunctive relief to prevent any further | ||
| activity in violation of this section. For purposes of this | ||
| subsection, "interested party" means a person who: | ||
| (1) is a taxpayer of a political subdivision or public | ||
| entity; or | ||
| (2) is served by or receives services from a political | ||
| subdivision or public entity. | ||
| SECTION 2. Section 556.0056, Government Code, as added by | ||
| this Act, applies only to an expenditure or payment of public money | ||
| by a political subdivision or public entity that is made on or after | ||
| September 1, 2019. An expenditure or payment of public money by a | ||
| political subdivision or public entity that is made before | ||
| September 1, 2019, is governed by the law in effect on the date the | ||
| expenditure or payment is made, and the former law is continued in | ||
| effect for that purpose. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. | ||
