Bill Text: TX SB217 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to lobbying by former members of the legislature; creating a criminal offense.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-02-15 - Referred to State Affairs [SB217 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SB217-Introduced.html
88R1568 JG-D | ||
By: Eckhardt | S.B. No. 217 |
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relating to lobbying by former members of the legislature; creating | ||
a criminal 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 572.062 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 572.062. FORMER LEGISLATOR: LOBBYING RESTRICTED; | ||
CRIMINAL OFFENSE. (a) In this section: | ||
(1) "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. | ||
(2) "Legislative cycle" means the two-year period | ||
beginning on the first day of a regular legislative session and | ||
ending on the day before the first day of the succeeding regular | ||
legislative session. | ||
(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), a former member of | ||
the legislature may not engage in activities that require | ||
registration under Chapter 305 before the end of the legislative | ||
cycle following the legislative cycle in which the former member | ||
last served as a member of the legislature. | ||
(c) Subsection (b) does not apply to a former member of the | ||
legislature who does not receive compensation other than | ||
reimbursement for actual expenses for communicating directly with a | ||
member of the legislative branch or a member of the executive branch | ||
to influence legislation or an administrative action. | ||
(d) A former member of the legislature commits an offense if | ||
the former member violates this section. An offense under this | ||
section is a Class B misdemeanor. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 572.062, Government Code, as added by | ||
this Act, applies only to a member of the legislature who ceases to | ||
be a member of the legislature after the effective date of this Act. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect January 14, 2025. |