By:  Nelson                                            S.B. No. 635
       73R5578 KLL-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to prohibiting former members of the legislature from
    1-3  engaging in lobbying activities; providing a criminal penalty.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Chapter 421, Acts of the 63rd Legislature,
    1-6  Regular Session, 1973 (Article 6252-9b, Vernon's Texas Civil
    1-7  Statutes), is amended by adding Section 7D to read as follows:
    1-8        Sec. 7D.  PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES OF FORMER LEGISLATORS.  (a)
    1-9  A former member of the legislature may not engage in activities
   1-10  that require registration under Chapter 305, Government Code, and
   1-11  its subsequent amendments, before the fifth anniversary of the date
   1-12  the former member ceases to be a member.
   1-13        (b)  A former member of the legislature commits an offense if
   1-14  the former member intentionally or knowingly violates Subsection
   1-15  (a) of this section.  An offense under this subsection is a Class A
   1-16  misdemeanor.
   1-17        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect January 31, 1995, and
   1-18  applies only to a member of the legislature who ceases to be a
   1-19  member on or after that date.
   1-20        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-21  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-22  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-23  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-24  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.