Bill Text: TX SB10 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Comm Sub
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to certain requirements applicable to political subdivisions and other entities that engage in lobbying and to the applicability of lobbyist registration requirements to a person who provides legal services to a political subdivision.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 11-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2021-05-25 - Nonrecord vote recorded in Journal [SB10 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB10-Comm_Sub.html
Bill Title: Relating to certain requirements applicable to political subdivisions and other entities that engage in lobbying and to the applicability of lobbyist registration requirements to a person who provides legal services to a political subdivision.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 11-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2021-05-25 - Nonrecord vote recorded in Journal [SB10 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB10-Comm_Sub.html
By: Bettencourt, et al. | S.B. No. 10 | |
(In the Senate - Filed March 10, 2021; March 11, 2021, read | ||
first time and referred to Committee on Local Government; | ||
April 12, 2021, reported adversely, with favorable Committee | ||
Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 5, Nays 4; April 12, 2021, | ||
sent to printer.) | ||
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 10 | By: Nichols |
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relating to the use by a county or municipality of public money for | ||
lobbying activities. | ||
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. RESTRICTIONS ON LOBBYING ACTIVITIES BY | ||
COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES. (a) The governing body of a county or | ||
municipality 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 county or municipality | ||
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 county or municipality | ||
from advocating for or against or otherwise influencing or | ||
attempting to influence the outcome of legislation pending before | ||
the legislature, including testifying before a legislative | ||
committee, while acting as an officer of the county or | ||
municipality; | ||
(3) an employee of a county or municipality 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; | ||
(4) a county or municipality from reimbursing an | ||
officer or employee of the county or municipality for direct travel | ||
expenses incurred by the officer or employee for engaging in an | ||
activity authorized by Subdivision (1), (2), or (3); or | ||
(5) a county or municipality from paying fees or dues | ||
or providing compensation in any manner to a nonprofit state | ||
association or organization that advocates for or against or | ||
otherwise influences or attempts to influence the outcome of | ||
legislation pending before the legislature on the collective behalf | ||
of counties or municipalities in this state, unless the association | ||
or organization: | ||
(A) pays or otherwise compensates an individual | ||
required to register as a lobbyist under Chapter 305 for a purpose | ||
described by this subdivision, not including a full-time employee | ||
of the association or organization; or | ||
(B) advocates for or against or otherwise | ||
influences or attempts to influence the outcome of legislation | ||
pending before the legislature related to property taxation, | ||
including the implementation, rates, and administration of | ||
property taxes. | ||
(b) A county or municipality may not establish a nonprofit | ||
association or organization that advocates for or against or | ||
otherwise influences or attempts to influence the outcome of | ||
legislation pending before the legislature on the behalf of a | ||
county or municipality if the association or organization takes an | ||
action described by Subsection (a)(5)(A) or (B). | ||
(c) If a county or municipality engages in an activity | ||
prohibited by Subsection (a) or (b), a taxpayer or resident of the | ||
county or municipality is entitled to appropriate injunctive relief | ||
to prevent any further activity prohibited by those subsections. | ||
(d) A taxpayer or resident who prevails in an action under | ||
Subsection (c) is entitled to recover from the county or | ||
municipality, as applicable, 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 added by | ||
this Act, applies only to: | ||
(1) an expenditure or payment of money or provision of | ||
some other compensation by a county or municipality that is made on | ||
or after September 1, 2021; and | ||
(2) the establishment of a nonprofit association or | ||
organization that takes an action described by Subsection (a)(5)(A) | ||
or (B) of that section on or after September 1, 2021. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. | ||
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