Bill Text: TX SB445 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to the authorization and reporting of expenditures for lobbying activities by certain political subdivisions and other public entities.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 4-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2017-05-05 - Referred to General Investigating & Ethics [SB445 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-SB445-Engrossed.html
| By: Burton, et al. | S.B. No. 445 | |
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| relating to the authorization and reporting of expenditures for | ||
| lobbying activities by certain political subdivisions and other | ||
| public entities. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Chapter 140, Local Government Code, is amended | ||
| by adding Section 140.012 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 140.012. EXPENDITURES FOR LOBBYING ACTIVITIES. | ||
| (a) This section applies only to: | ||
| (1) a political subdivision that imposes a tax; | ||
| (2) a political subdivision or special district that | ||
| has the authority to issue bonds, including revenue bonds; | ||
| (3) a regional mobility authority; | ||
| (4) a transit authority; | ||
| (5) a regional tollway authority; | ||
| (6) a special purpose district; | ||
| (7) a public institution of higher education; | ||
| (8) a community college district; | ||
| (9) a utility owned by the state or a political | ||
| subdivision; or | ||
| (10) a river authority. | ||
| (b) A political subdivision or entity described by | ||
| Subsection (a) may enter into a contract to spend money to directly | ||
| or indirectly influence or attempt to influence the outcome of any | ||
| legislation only if the contract, purpose of the contract, | ||
| recipient of the contract, and amount of the contract expenditure | ||
| are authorized by a majority vote of the governing body of the | ||
| political subdivision or entity in an open meeting of the governing | ||
| body. The contract expenditure must be voted on by the governing | ||
| body as a stand-alone item on the agenda at the meeting. The | ||
| governing body may approve multiple contract expenditures for the | ||
| purpose described by this subsection by a single vote of the | ||
| governing body, if the total amount of those expenditures is stated | ||
| as a separate item on the meeting agenda. | ||
| (c) A political subdivision or entity described by | ||
| Subsection (a) shall report to the Texas Ethics Commission and | ||
| publish on the political subdivision's or entity's Internet | ||
| website: | ||
| (1) the amount of money authorized under Subsection | ||
| (b) for the purpose of directly or indirectly influencing or | ||
| attempting to influence the outcome of any legislation pending | ||
| before the legislature; | ||
| (2) the name of any person required to register under | ||
| Chapter 305, Government Code, retained or employed by the political | ||
| subdivision or entity for the purpose described by Subdivision (1); | ||
| and | ||
| (3) an electronic copy of any contract for services | ||
| described by Subdivision (1) entered into by the political | ||
| subdivision or entity with each person listed under Subdivision | ||
| (2). | ||
| (d) In addition to the requirements of Subsection (c), the | ||
| political subdivision or entity described by Subsection (a) shall | ||
| report to the Texas Ethics Commission and publish on the political | ||
| subdivision's or entity's Internet website the amount of public | ||
| money spent for membership fees and dues of any nonprofit state | ||
| association or organization of similarly situated political | ||
| subdivisions or entities that directly or indirectly influences or | ||
| attempts to influence the outcome of any legislation pending before | ||
| the legislature. | ||
| (e) The Texas Ethics Commission shall make available to the | ||
| public an online searchable database on the commission's Internet | ||
| website containing the reports submitted to the commission under | ||
| Subsection (c). | ||
| (f) If any political subdivision or entity described by | ||
| Subsection (a) does not comply with the requirements of this | ||
| section, an interested party is entitled to appropriate injunctive | ||
| relief to prevent any further activity in violation of this | ||
| section. For purposes of this subsection, "interested party" means | ||
| a person who: | ||
| (1) is a taxpayer of a political subdivision or entity | ||
| described by Subsection (a); or | ||
| (2) is served by or receives services from a political | ||
| subdivision or entity described by Subsection (a). | ||
| (g) This section does not apply to expenditures or contracts | ||
| of a political subdivision or entity described by Subsection (a) | ||
| that are related to a person who is a full-time employee of the | ||
| political subdivision or entity, or to the reimbursement of | ||
| expenses for a full-time employee of the political subdivision or | ||
| entity. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. | ||
