Hickland Bill Bars School Districts From Paying Lobbyists

The text as introduced · 365 words

By: Hickland
H.B. No. 1313

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the use by a school district or a school district

employee of public funds for lobbying activities.

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. RESTRICTION ON USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS BY SCHOOL

DISTRICTS AND SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES FOR LOBBYING ACTIVITIES.

(a) In this section, "communicates directly with" and "member of

the legislative branch" have the meanings assigned by Section

305.002.

(b) A school district may not spend public funds:

(1) to hire an individual required to register as a

lobbyist under Chapter 305 for the purpose of lobbying a member of

the legislative branch; or

(2) to pay a nonprofit state association or

organization that:

(A) primarily represents political subdivisions;

and

(B) hires or contracts with an individual

required to register as a lobbyist under Chapter 305.

(c) A school district employee may not use public funds or

other district resources to communicate directly with a member of

the legislative branch or an employee of a member of the legislative

branch to influence legislation.

(d) If a school district or a school district employee

engages in an activity prohibited by Subsection (b) or (c), a

taxpayer or resident of the school district is entitled to

appropriate injunctive relief to prevent further activity

prohibited by those subsections and further use or expenditure of

public funds related to those activities.

(e) A taxpayer or resident who prevails in an action under

Subsection (d) is entitled to recover from the school district the

taxpayer's or resident'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 the use or expenditure of public funds by

a school district or a school district employee that is made on or

after the effective date of this Act, including the use or

expenditure of public funds that is made under a contract entered

into on or after the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.