Bill Text: TX SB906 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the use by a political subdivision of public money for lobbying activities.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-21 - Referred to State Affairs [SB906 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-SB906-Introduced.html
By: Hughes | S.B. No. 906 | |
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relating to the use by a political subdivision of public money for | ||
lobbying 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 to directly or indirectly influence or attempt | ||
to influence the outcome of any legislation pending before the | ||
legislature that may expand access to elective abortions by an | ||
abortion provider or an affiliate of an abortion provider. 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 | ||
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. | ||
(c) If a political subdivision engages in an activity | ||
prohibited by Subsection (b), [ |
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political subdivision that engages in the prohibited activity [ |
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appropriate injunctive relief to prevent any further activity | ||
prohibited by Subsection (b) [ |
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(d) A taxpayer or resident who prevails in an action under | ||
Subsection (c) 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 | ||
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. An expenditure or | ||
payment of public money by a political subdivision 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. |