Bill Text: TX SB1254 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to lobbying by former state agency officers and executive heads; creating an offense.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-04-25 - Left pending in committee [SB1254 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-SB1254-Introduced.html
| 83R10591 EES-D | ||
| By: Davis | S.B. No. 1254 | |
|
|
||
|
|
||
| relating to lobbying by former state agency officers and executive | ||
| heads; creating an offense. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 572, Government Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 572.069 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 572.069. FORMER OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE HEADS OF STATE | ||
| AGENCIES: LOBBYING RESTRICTED; CRIMINAL OFFENSE. (a) In this | ||
| section, "administrative action," "communicates directly with," | ||
| "legislation," "member of the executive branch," and "member of the | ||
| legislative branch" have the meanings assigned by Section 305.002. | ||
| (b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), a former appointed | ||
| officer of a state agency or a former executive head of a state | ||
| agency may not, before the second anniversary of the date the person | ||
| ceases to be an officer or executive head, engage in activities that | ||
| require registration under Chapter 305. | ||
| (c) Subsection (b) does not apply to a former appointed | ||
| officer of a state agency or a former executive head of a state | ||
| agency who: | ||
| (1) communicates directly with a member of the | ||
| legislative or executive branch only to influence legislation or | ||
| administrative action on behalf of: | ||
| (A) a nonprofit organization; | ||
| (B) an individual; | ||
| (C) a group of low-income individuals; or | ||
| (D) a group of individuals with disabilities; and | ||
| (2) does not receive compensation other than | ||
| reimbursement for actual expenses for engaging in communication | ||
| described by Subdivision (1). | ||
| (d) A former appointed officer of a state agency or a former | ||
| executive head of a state agency who violates this section commits | ||
| an offense. An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor. | ||
| (e) If conduct that constitutes an offense under this | ||
| section also constitutes an offense under Section 572.054 or other | ||
| law, the person may be prosecuted under this section, the other law, | ||
| or both. | ||
| SECTION 2. Section 572.069, Government Code, as added by | ||
| this Act, applies only to an appointed officer of a state agency or | ||
| an executive head of a state agency who ceases to be an officer or | ||
| executive head on or after the effective date of this Act. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
| a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
| Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
| Act takes effect September 1, 2013. | ||
