By:  Delisi                                                       H.B. No. 3530



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to certain communications with state employees, agents, 
contractors and sub-contractors.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Chapter 305, Government Code, Section 305.003 is 
amended to read as follows:
	Sec. 305.003.  PERSONS REQUIRED TO REGISTER.  (a)  A person 
must register with the commission under this chapter if the person:
		(1)  makes a total expenditure of an amount determined 
by commission rule but not less than $200 in a calendar quarter, not 
including the person's own travel, food, or lodging expenses or the 
person's own membership dues, on activities described in Section 
305.006(b) to communicate directly with one or more members of the 
legislative or executive branch, employees, agents, contractors or 
sub-contractors of the state to influence the expenditure of state 
funds, legislation or administrative action; or
		(2)  receives compensation or reimbursement, not 
including reimbursement for the person's own travel, food, or 
lodging expenses or the person's own membership dues, of more than 
an amount determined by commission rule but not less than $200 in a 
calendar quarter from another person to communicate directly with a 
member of the legislative or executive branch one or more 
employees, agents, contractors or sub-contractors of the state to 
influence the expenditure of state funds, legislation or 
administrative action.
	(b)  Subsection (a)(2) requires a person to register if the 
person, as part of his regular employment, has communicated 
directly with a member of the legislative or executive branch one or 
more employees, agents, contractors or sub-contractors of the state 
to influence the expenditure of state funds, legislation or 
administrative action on behalf of the person by whom he is 
compensated or reimbursed, whether or not the person receives any 
compensation for the communication in addition to the salary for 
that regular employment. However, Subsection (a)(2) does not 
require a member of the judicial, legislative, or executive branch 
of state government or an officer or employee of a political 
subdivision of the state to register.
	(c)  A person who communicates directly with a member of the 
executive branch or one or more employees, agents, contractors or 
sub-contractors of the state to influence administrative action is 
not required to register under Subsection (a)(2) if the person is an 
attorney of record or pro se, the person enters his appearance in a 
public record through pleadings or other written documents in a 
docketed case pending before a state agency, and that communication 
is the only activity that would otherwise require the person to 
register.
	SECTION 2.  EFFECTIVE DATE.  This Act takes effect 
immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members 
elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas 
Constitution.  If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for 
immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2003.