By Duncan                                        S.B. No. 457

      75R4934 ESH-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(a), Government Code, is amended

 1-6     to read as follows:

 1-7           (a)  A member of the legislature may not, for compensation,

 1-8     represent another person before a state agency in the executive

 1-9     branch of state government unless[:]

1-10                 [(1)  the representation is made in a proceeding that

1-11     is adversary in nature or in another public hearing that is a

1-12     matter of record; or]

1-13                 [(2)]  the representation involves the filing of

1-14     documents, contacts with the agency for informational purposes, or

1-15     other relations, that involve only ministerial acts on the part of

1-16     the commission, agency, board, department, or officer.

1-17           SECTION 2.  Section 572.021, Government Code, is amended to

1-18     read as follows:

1-19           Sec. 572.021.  FINANCIAL STATEMENT REQUIRED.  A state

1-20     officer, a partisan or independent candidate for an office as an

1-21     elected officer, and a party chairman shall file with the

1-22     commission a verified financial statement complying with Sections

1-23     572.022 through 572.024 [572.025].

1-24           SECTION 3.  Section 572.025, Government Code, is repealed.

 2-1           SECTION 4.  This Act applies only to representation before an

 2-2     executive state agency for which a member of the legislature is

 2-3     hired on or after the effective date of this Act.  Representation

 2-4     for which a member of the legislature was hired before that date is

 2-5     governed by the law in effect when the member of the legislature

 2-6     was hired, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.

 2-7           SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

 2-8           SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-9     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-10     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-11     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-12     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.