Nichols Lobbying Bill Spares Associations That Lobby With Full-Time Staff

The text as introduced · 634 words

89R12466 CJD-D

By: Nichols
S.B. No. 1420

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the use by a county, municipality, or school district of

public money 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. RESTRICTIONS ON LOBBYING ACTIVITIES BY

COUNTIES, MUNICIPALITIES, AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS. (a) The governing

body of a county, municipality, or school district may not spend

public money or provide compensation in any manner to directly or

indirectly influence or attempt to influence the outcome of any

legislation pending before the legislature. This subsection does

not prevent:

(1) an officer or employee of a county, municipality,

or school district from providing information for a member of the

legislature or appearing before a legislative committee;

(2) an elected officer of a county, municipality, or

school district from advocating for or against or otherwise

influencing or attempting to influence the outcome of legislation

pending before the legislature, including testifying before a

legislative committee;

(3) an employee of a county, municipality, or school

district from advocating for or against or otherwise influencing or

attempting to influence the outcome of legislation pending before

the legislature if those actions would not require a person to

register as a lobbyist under Chapter 305;

(4) a county, municipality, or school district from

reimbursing an officer or employee of the county, municipality, or

school district for direct travel expenses incurred by the officer

or employee for engaging in an activity authorized by Subdivision

(1), (2), or (3);

(5) a county, municipality, or school district from

paying fees or dues or providing compensation in any manner to a

nonprofit state association or organization that advocates for or

against or otherwise influences or attempts to influence the

outcome of legislation pending before the legislature on the

collective behalf of counties, municipalities, or school districts

in this state, unless the association or organization pays or

otherwise compensates an individual required to register as a

lobbyist under Chapter 305 for a purpose described by this

subdivision, not including a full-time employee of the association

or organization; or

(6) a county, municipality, or school district from

spending public money or providing compensation to an individual

required to register as a lobbyist under Chapter 305 for the purpose

of influencing or attempting to influence the outcome of

legislation pending before the legislature related to the military,

military service members, or military veterans.

(b) A county, municipality, or school district may not

establish a nonprofit association or organization that advocates

for or against or otherwise influences or attempts to influence the

outcome of legislation pending before the legislature on the behalf

of a county, municipality, or school district if the association or

organization takes an action described by Subsection (a)(5).

(c) If a county, municipality, or school district engages in

an activity prohibited by Subsection (a) or (b), a taxpayer or

resident of the county, municipality, or school district is

entitled to appropriate injunctive relief to prevent any further

activity prohibited by those subsections.

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

Subsection (c) is entitled to recover from the county,

municipality, or 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:

(1) an expenditure or payment of money or provision of

some other compensation by a county, municipality, or school

district that is made on or after September 1, 2025; and

(2) the establishment of a nonprofit association or

organization that takes an action described by Subsection (a)(5) of

that section on or after September 1, 2025.

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