Bill Text: TX SB2044 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the use of tax proceeds for lobbying activities or lobbyists.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-03-28 - Referred to State Affairs [SB2044 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-SB2044-Introduced.html
85R3611 ATP-D | ||
By: Bettencourt | S.B. No. 2044 |
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relating to the use of tax proceeds for lobbying activities or | ||
lobbyists. | ||
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. LOBBYING ACTIVITIES. (a) This section | ||
applies to a governmental entity, including a political | ||
subdivision, wholly or partly funded by tax proceeds. | ||
(b) A governmental entity may not spend tax proceeds 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 governmental entity | ||
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, or with regard to the | ||
entity's budgetary needs or the effect of pending legislation on | ||
the entity; or | ||
(2) an elected officer of a governmental entity 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 governmental entity. | ||
(c) A governmental entity may not employ a person required | ||
to register as a lobbyist under Chapter 305 to engage in activities | ||
on behalf of the governmental entity for which registration is | ||
required under that chapter. | ||
(d) If a governmental entity engages in an activity | ||
prohibited by Subsection (b) or (c), a taxpayer of the entity or the | ||
taxing authority that provides tax proceeds to the entity is | ||
entitled to appropriate injunctive relief to prevent any further | ||
activity prohibited by Subsection (b) or (c). | ||
(e) A taxpayer who prevails in an action under Subsection | ||
(d) is entitled to recover from the governmental entity the | ||
taxpayer'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 an expenditure or payment of tax proceeds | ||
by a governmental entity that is made on or after September 1, 2017. | ||
An expenditure or payment of tax proceeds by a governmental entity | ||
that is made before September 1, 2017, 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, 2017. |