Monitoring the Session

SB 450

Middleton’s bill on lobbying by former legislators

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Mayes MiddletonRSenate 11

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to lobbying by former members of the legislature; creating a criminal offense.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

ex-members wait until the end of the second regular session.

The bill bars a former Texas legislator from doing paid lobbying work that requires registration under Chapter 305 until the end of the second regular session that meets after the person leaves office. It covers only legislators who leave office on or after September 1, 2025, and it exempts unpaid advocacy for nonprofits that do not represent local governments, for individuals, and for groups of low-income people or people with disabilities. A former member who breaks the rule commits a Class A misdemeanor offense, which creates a cooling-off period of roughly four years before an ex-lawmaker can become a registered lobbyist.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R SB 345 (Died in committee) and this bill (Died in committee). Checked against 88R only.BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R SB 345 (Died in committee). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.CREATES AN OFFENSE. The caption of the graded version (introduced) reads: “relating to lobbying by former members of the legislature; creating a criminal offense.”NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Nov 21, 2024 and referred to the Senate State Affairs committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB450 · 2024-11-21

SOLD BY

Sen. Mayes MiddletonRSenate 11

ITEM

relating to lobbying by former members of the legislature; creating a criminal offense.

WHAT IT DOES

ex-members wait until the end of the second regular session.

The bill bars a former Texas legislator from doing paid lobbying work that requires registration under Chapter 305 until the end of the second regular session that meets after the person leaves office. It covers only legislators who leave office on or after September 1, 2025, and it exempts unpaid advocacy for nonprofits that do not represent local governments, for individuals, and for groups of low-income people or people with disabilities. A former member who breaks the rule commits a Class A misdemeanor offense, which creates a cooling-off period of roughly four years before an ex-lawmaker can become a registered lobbyist.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

  1. Received by the Secretary of the Senate
  2. Filed
  3. Read first time
  4. Referred to State Affairs
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Mayes Middleton

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$1.14MRussell Gordy$300,000Kenneth Fisher$215,000

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Jul 6, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$1,140,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$1,140,000.00

Cash
$1,140,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$1,140,000.00

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 2024 to Oct 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101009502, 101012383, 101061137, 101072395, 101072779.

Russell Gordy$300,000.00
Kenneth Fisher$215,000.00
Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$1,140,000.00

Cash
$1,140,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$1,140,000.00

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 2024 to Oct 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101009502, 101012383, 101061137, 101072395, 101072779.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

FILED BEFORE

Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

88R SB 345

by Sen. Middleton, same lead author · Died in committee · same text

Introduced text

Last action, Feb 15, 2023: Referred to State Affairs

Relating to lobbying by former members of the legislature; creating a criminal offense.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Nov 21, 2024

02/03/2025 S Referred to State Affairs

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 6:51 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Senate committee · State Affairs · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Crimes--Miscellaneous

Ethics

Legislature

State Employees

LOBBYISTS & LOBBYING

Text

The text as introduced · 305 words

89R621 CJD-D

By: Middleton
S.B. No. 450

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

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, "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.

(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 date of final adjournment

of the second regular session of the legislature to convene after

the date the person ceases to be a member of the legislature.

(c) Subsection (b) does not apply to a former member of the

legislature who:

(1) communicates directly with a member of the

legislative branch or a member of the executive branch only to

influence legislation or an administrative action on behalf of:

(A) a nonprofit organization that does not

represent a political subdivision of this state;

(B) an individual;

(C) a group of low-income individuals; or

(D) a group of individuals with disabilities; and

(2) does not receive compensation other than

reimbursement for actual expenses for engaging in communication

described by Subdivision (1).

(d) A former member of the legislature who violates this

section commits an offense. An offense under this section is a Class

A 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 on or after the effective date of this Act.

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