Bill Text: TX SB368 | 2019-2020 | 86th 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) 2019-02-07 - Referred to State Affairs [SB368 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-SB368-Introduced.html
| 86R4763 SOS-D | ||
| By: Watson | S.B. No. 368 | |
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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 572.063 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 572.063. 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 or executive branch to influence | ||
| legislation or administrative action. | ||
| (d) A former member of the legislature who violates this | ||
| section commits an offense. An offense under this section is a | ||
| Class B misdemeanor. | ||
| SECTION 2. Section 572.063, 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 12, 2021. | ||
