By Nelson                                              S.B. No. 184
       74R2363 KLL-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the representation of a person before an executive
    1-3  state agency by a member of the legislature.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Section 572.052, Government Code, is amended to
    1-6  read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 572.052.  REPRESENTATION BY LEGISLATORS BEFORE STATE
    1-8  AGENCIES; CRIMINAL OFFENSE.  (a)  A member of the legislature may
    1-9  not, for compensation, represent another person before a state
   1-10  agency in the executive branch of state government <unless:>
   1-11              <(1)  the representation is made in a proceeding that
   1-12  is adversary in nature or in another public hearing that is a
   1-13  matter of record; or>
   1-14              <(2)  the representation involves the filing of
   1-15  documents, contacts with the agency, or other relations, that
   1-16  involve only ministerial acts on the part of the commission,
   1-17  agency, board, department, or officer>.
   1-18        (b)  This section does not apply to representation before:
   1-19              (1)  the Board of Pardons and Paroles; or
   1-20              (2)  the Texas Workers' Compensation Commission.
   1-21        (c)  A member of the legislature commits an offense if the
   1-22  member violates this section.  An offense under this subsection is
   1-23  a Class A misdemeanor.
   1-24        SECTION 2.  Section 572.025, Government Code, is amended to
    2-1  read as follows:
    2-2        Sec. 572.025.  INFORMATION ABOUT LEGISLATORS' REPRESENTATION
    2-3  BEFORE CERTAIN EXECUTIVE STATE AGENCIES.  A member of the
    2-4  legislature who represents another person for compensation before
    2-5  an executive state agency listed in Section 572.052(b) shall report
    2-6  on the financial statement:
    2-7              (1)  the name of the agency;
    2-8              (2)  the person represented by the member; and
    2-9              (3)  the category of the amount of compensation
   2-10  received by the member for that representation.
   2-11        SECTION 3.  This Act applies to representation before an
   2-12  executive state agency on or after the effective date of this Act,
   2-13  without regard to when the member of the legislature was retained
   2-14  for the representation and without regard to whether the
   2-15  representation involves a continuing proceeding initiated before
   2-16  the effective date of this Act.
   2-17        SECTION 4.  A member of the legislature who engages in an
   2-18  activity permitted by Section 572.052, Government Code, as that
   2-19  section existed before the effective date of this Act, shall report
   2-20  that activity on the member's financial statement for the calendar
   2-21  year beginning January 1, 1995.  The report shall be made as
   2-22  provided by Section 572.025, Government Code, as that section
   2-23  existed before the effective date of this Act, and that section as
   2-24  it then existed is continued in effect for that purpose.
   2-25        SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   2-26        SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-27  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    3-1  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    3-2  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    3-3  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.