Bill Text: TX SB29 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Engrossed
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
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-Engrossed.html
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-Engrossed.html
By: Hall, et al. | S.B. No. 29 |
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relating to the use by a political subdivision of 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 [ |
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AND ORGANIZATIONS [ |
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section applies to any political subdivision, including a regional | ||
mobility authority, toll road authority, or transit authority. | ||
(b) The governing body of a political subdivision 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 political subdivision | ||
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 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. | ||
(c) The governing body of a political subdivision | ||
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association or organization [ |
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membership fees and dues or for any other purpose unless [ |
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(1) a majority of the governing body [ |
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approve membership in the association or organization; | ||
(2) the association or organization exists for the | ||
betterment of local [ |
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local [ |
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(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 directly or indirectly | ||
influences or attempts to influence the outcome of any legislation | ||
pending before the legislature[ |
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(5) [ |
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contribute [ |
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thing to a political campaign or endorse [ |
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group of candidates for public office. | ||
(d) Subsection (c)(4) 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 member of the | ||
legislature or the committee. | ||
(e) If a political subdivision engages in an activity | ||
prohibited by Subsection (b) or if [ |
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organization supported wholly or partly by payments of money [ |
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described by Subsection (c)(4) [ |
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resident of the [ |
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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 (c)(4) [ |
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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. Section 556.0056, Government Code, as | ||
transferred, redesignated, and amended by this Act, applies only to | ||
an expenditure or payment of money or provision of some other | ||
compensation by a political subdivision that is made on or after | ||
September 1, 2019. An expenditure or payment of money or provision | ||
of some other compensation by a political subdivision that is made | ||
before September 1, 2019, is governed by the law in effect on the | ||
date the expenditure, payment, or provision is made, and the former | ||
law is continued in effect for that purpose. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |