By: Davis of Harris (Senate Sponsor - Huffman) H.B. No. 3512

(In the Senate - Received from the House May 11, 2015; May 12, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs; May 21, 2015, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 21, 2015, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

COMMITTEE VOTE

YeaNayAbsentPNV

HuffmanX

EllisX

BirdwellX

CreightonX

EstesX

FraserX

NelsonX

SchwertnerX

ZaffiriniX

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to lobbying activities and the registration of lobbyists.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 305.002, Government Code, is amended by adding Subdivision (2-a) to read as follows:

(2-a) "Communicates directly with a member of the legislative or executive branch to influence legislation or administrative action" or any variation of the phrase includes establishing goodwill with the member for the purpose of later communicating with the member to influence legislation or administrative action.

SECTION 2. Section 305.003, Government Code, is amended by adding Subsections (b-3) and (b-4) to read as follows:

(b-3) Subsection (a)(2) does not require a person to register if the person spends not more than 26 hours, or another amount of time determined by the commission, for which the person is compensated or reimbursed during the calendar quarter engaging in activity, including preparatory activity as defined by the commission, to communicate directly with a member of the legislative or executive branch to influence legislation or administrative action.

(b-4) If a person spends more than eight hours in a single day engaging in activity to communicate directly with a member of the legislative or executive branch to influence legislation or administrative action, the person is considered to have engaged in the activity for only eight hours during that day for purposes of Subsection (b-3).

SECTION 3. Section 305.003, Government Code, as amended by this Act, applies only to a registration or registration renewal required to be filed under Chapter 305, Government Code, on or after the effective date of this Act. A registration or registration renewal required to be filed under Chapter 305, Government Code, before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the registration or registration renewal is due, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.

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