By: Berman (Senate Sponsor - Harris) H.B. No. 2735
         (In the Senate - Received from the House April 26, 2007;
  May 1, 2007, read first time and referred to Committee on State
  Affairs; May 8, 2007, reported favorably by the following vote:  
  Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 8, 2007, sent to printer.)
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to lobbying expenditures that are made jointly.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 305, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 305.0021 to read as follows:
         Sec. 305.0021.  DETERMINATION OF AMOUNT OF JOINT
  EXPENDITURE.  (a)  If a registrant, or a person on the registrant's
  behalf and with the registrant's consent or ratification, joins
  with another person to make an expenditure described by this
  chapter, the amount of the expenditure made by or on behalf of the
  registrant for purposes of this chapter includes only:
               (1)  the amount of the portion of the joint expenditure
  contributed by the registrant; and
               (2)  the amount of any portion of the joint expenditure
  that:
                     (A)  is made on behalf of the registrant by a
  person who is not a registrant; and
                     (B)  is not otherwise reported under this chapter.
         (b)  For purposes of Section 36.02 or 36.10, Penal Code, the
  amount of a joint expenditure that is attributed to a person who is
  not a registrant is not an expenditure made and reported in
  accordance with this chapter.
         SECTION 2.  Section 305.024, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
         (c)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the total value of a
  joint expenditure under Subsection (a)(2)(B), (C), or (D) may
  exceed $500 if each portion of the expenditure:
               (1)  is made by a registrant; and
               (2)  does not exceed $500.
         SECTION 3.  (a)  The change in law made by this Act applies
  only to the making or reporting under Chapter 305, Government Code,
  of an expenditure made on or after September 1, 2007. The making or
  reporting under Chapter 305, Government Code, of an expenditure
  made before September 1, 2007, is governed by the law in effect at
  the time the expenditure is made, and the former law is continued in
  effect for that purpose.
         (b)  The change in law made by this Act applies only to an
  offense committed on or after September 1, 2007. For the purposes
  of this section, an offense is committed before September 1, 2007,
  if any element of the offense occurs before that date. An offense
  committed before September 1, 2007, is covered by the law in effect
  when the offense was committed, and the former law is continued in
  effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
 
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