Bill Text: TX HB3680 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the authorization and reporting of expenditures for lobbying activities by certain political subdivisions and other public entities.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-19 - Referred to State Affairs [HB3680 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB3680-Introduced.html
| 86R547 ATP-D | ||
| By: Middleton | H.B. No. 3680 | |
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| relating to the authorization and reporting 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 140, Local Government Code, is amended | ||
| by adding Section 140.012 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 140.012. EXPENDITURES FOR LOBBYING ACTIVITIES. (a) | ||
| This section applies only to a: | ||
| (1) political subdivision that imposes a tax; | ||
| (2) political subdivision or special district that has | ||
| the authority to issue bonds, including revenue bonds; | ||
| (3) regional mobility authority; | ||
| (4) transit authority; | ||
| (5) regional tollway authority; | ||
| (6) special purpose district; | ||
| (7) public institution of higher education; | ||
| (8) community college district; | ||
| (9) publicly owned utility; and | ||
| (10) river authority. | ||
| (b) A political subdivision or entity described by | ||
| Subsection (a) may spend 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 | ||
| 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. | ||
| (c) A political subdivision or entity described by | ||
| Subsection (a) shall report to the Texas Ethics Commission and | ||
| publish on the political subdivision's or entity's Internet | ||
| website: | ||
| (1) the amount of money authorized under Subsection | ||
| (b) for the purpose of directly or indirectly influencing or | ||
| attempting to influence the outcome of any legislation pending | ||
| before the legislature; | ||
| (2) the name of any person required to register under | ||
| Chapter 305, Government Code, retained or employed by the political | ||
| subdivision or entity for the purpose described by Subdivision (1); | ||
| and | ||
| (3) an electronic copy of any contract for services | ||
| for the purpose described by Subdivision (1) that is entered into by | ||
| the political subdivision or entity with each person listed under | ||
| Subdivision (2). | ||
| (d) In addition to the requirements of Subsection (c), a | ||
| political subdivision or entity described by Subsection (a) shall | ||
| report to the Texas Ethics Commission and publish on the political | ||
| subdivision's or entity's Internet website the amount of public | ||
| money spent for membership fees and dues of any nonprofit state | ||
| association or organization of similarly situated political | ||
| subdivisions or entities that directly or indirectly influences or | ||
| attempts to influence the outcome of any legislation pending before | ||
| the legislature. | ||
| (e) The Texas Ethics Commission shall make available to the | ||
| public a searchable database on the commission's Internet website | ||
| containing the reports submitted to the commission under Subsection | ||
| (c). | ||
| (f) If a political subdivision or entity described by | ||
| Subsection (a) does not comply with the requirements of this | ||
| section, an interested party is entitled to appropriate injunctive | ||
| relief to prevent further activity in violation of this section. | ||
| For purposes of this subsection, "interested party" means a person | ||
| who: | ||
| (1) is a taxpayer of the political subdivision or | ||
| entity described by Subsection (a); or | ||
| (2) is served by or receives services from the | ||
| political subdivision or entity described by Subsection (a). | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. | ||
