By Elkins                                       H.B. No. 2501

      75R8433 ESH-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to compensation of a lobbyist with public funds of a

 1-3     political subdivision.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Chapter 140, Local Government Code, is amended by

 1-6     adding Section 140.008 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 140.008.  COMPENSATION OF LOBBYIST WITH PUBLIC FUNDS

 1-8     PROHIBITED.  (a)  A political subdivision may not use public funds

 1-9     to compensate a person who is not an employee of the political

1-10     subdivision to appear before another governmental entity to

1-11     influence executive, legislative, or administrative action taken by

1-12     the other governmental entity.

1-13           (b)  A political subdivision may not employ a person whose

1-14     primary activities are related to appearing before another

1-15     governmental entity to influence executive, legislative, or

1-16     administrative action taken by the other governmental entity.

1-17           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and

1-18     applies only to a contract between a person and a political

1-19     subdivision that is made 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.