Bill Text: TX SB29 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Comm Sub


Bill Title: Relating to the use by a political subdivision of public money for lobbying and certain other activities.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 46-2)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-05-20 - Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal [SB29 Detail]

Download: Texas-2019-SB29-Comm_Sub.html
  86R31124 JG-D
 
  By: Hall, et al. S.B. No. 29
 
  (Middleton, Phelan, Metcalf, Longoria, Burrows, et al.)
 
  Substitute the following for S.B. No. 29:  No.
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the use by a political subdivision of public money for
  lobbying and certain other activities.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 89.002, Local Government Code, is
  transferred to Chapter 556, Government Code, redesignated as
  Section 556.0056, Government Code, and amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 556.0056 [89.002].  LOBBYING ACTIVITIES; ASSOCIATIONS
  AND ORGANIZATIONS [STATE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES].  (a)  This
  section applies to the following political subdivisions:
               (1)  a political subdivision that imposes a tax; and
               (2)  a regional mobility authority, toll road
  authority, or transit authority.
         (b)  The governing body of a political subdivision may not
  spend public money to directly or indirectly influence or attempt
  to influence the outcome of any legislation pending before the
  legislature related to:
               (1)  taxation, including the implementation, rates,
  and administration of taxes;
               (2)  bond elections;
               (3)  tax-supported debt; and
               (4)  ethics and transparency of public servants.
         (c)  Subsection (b) does not prevent:
               (1)  an officer or employee of a political subdivision
  from providing information for a member of the legislature or
  appearing before a legislative committee at the request of the
  committee or the member of the legislature;
               (2)  an elected officer of a political subdivision 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 political subdivision; or
               (3)  an employee of a political subdivision 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.
         (d)  The governing body of a political subdivision
  [commissioners court] may spend, in the name of the political
  subdivision [county], money [from the county's general fund] for
  membership fees and dues of a nonprofit state association or
  organization of similarly situated political subdivisions only
  [counties] if:
               (1)  a majority of the governing body [court] votes to
  approve membership in the association or organization;
               (2)  the association or organization exists for the
  betterment of local [county] government and the benefit of all
  local [county] officials;
               (3)  the association or organization is not affiliated
  with a labor organization;
               (4)  [neither] the association or organization, [nor]
  an employee of the association or organization, or a person acting
  on behalf of the association or organization does not directly or
  indirectly influence [influences] or attempt [attempts] to
  influence the outcome of any legislation pending before the
  legislature related to the matters described by Subsections
  (b)(1)-(4)[, except that this subdivision does not prevent a person
  from providing information for a member of the legislature or
  appearing before a legislative committee at the request of the
  committee or the member of the legislature]; and
               (5)  [neither] the association or organization does not
  [nor an employee of the association] directly or indirectly
  contribute [contributes] any money, services, or other valuable
  thing to a political campaign or endorse [endorses] a candidate or
  group of candidates for public office.
         (e)  If a political subdivision engages in an activity
  prohibited by Subsection (b) or if [(b)  If] any association or
  organization supported wholly or partly by payments of public money 
  [tax receipts] from political subdivisions engages in an activity
  described by Subsection (d)(4) [(a)(4)] or (5), a taxpayer or
  resident of the [a] political subdivision that engages in the
  prohibited activity or that pays fees or dues to the association or
  organization is entitled to appropriate injunctive relief to
  prevent any further activity prohibited by Subsection (b) or 
  described by Subsection (d)(4) [(a)(4)] or (5) or any further
  payments of fees or dues.
         (f)  A taxpayer or resident who prevails in an action under
  Subsection (e) is entitled to recover from the political
  subdivision the taxpayer's or resident's reasonable attorney's fees
  and costs incurred in bringing the action.
         SECTION 2.  Chapter 140, Local Government Code, is amended
  by adding Section 140.012 to read as follows:
         Sec. 140.012.  DISCLOSURE IN FINANCIAL REPORT OF AMOUNTS
  SPENT ON LOBBYING ACTIVITIES. (a) This section applies only to:
               (1)  a political subdivision that imposes a tax; or
               (2)  a regional mobility authority, toll road
  authority, or transit authority.
         (b)  A political subdivision or authority that uses any
  public money to influence or attempt to influence the outcome of any
  legislation pending before the legislature must disclose on any
  comprehensive annual financial report required to be prepared by
  the political subdivision or authority the total amount spent
  during the fiscal year to compensate persons required to register
  as a lobbyist under Chapter 305, Government Code, to influence the
  outcome of legislation.
         (c)  Subsection (b) does not require a political subdivision
  or authority to prepare a separate comprehensive annual financial
  report for the disclosures under that subsection.
         SECTION 3.  (a)  Section 556.0056, Government Code, as
  transferred, redesignated, and amended by this Act, applies only to
  an expenditure or payment of public money by a political
  subdivision that is made on or after September 1, 2019, including an
  expenditure or payment of public money by a political subdivision
  that is made under a contract entered into before, on, or after the
  effective date of this Act. A contract term providing for an
  expenditure or payment prohibited by Section 556.0056, Government
  Code, as transferred, redesignated, and amended by this Act, is
  void on the effective date of this Act for being counter to public
  policy.
         (b)  Section 140.012, Local Government Code, as added by this
  Act, applies only to a fiscal year of an entity required to file a
  report that begins on or after the effective date of this Act.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
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