Honorable Joan Huffman, Chair, Senate Committee on State Affairs
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB586 by Watson (Relating to the content of detailed reports filed by lobbyists.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend Government Code to delink the threshold for reporting for certain lobby expenditures from the legislative per diem and would expand the reporting requirements to include expenditures for immediate family members of the legislative or executive branch. The bill would also require registered lobbyists to notify members of the legislative and executive branch of certain expenditures, and would create an offense for registrants that fail to do so. The Ethics Commission indicates that any costs associated with the bill could be absorbed within current resources.
The bill would take effect September 1, 2015.
Local Government Impact
A Class A misdemeanor is punishable by a fine of not more than $4,000, confinement in jail for a term not to exceed one year, or both. Costs associated with enforcement, prosecution, and confinement could likely be absorbed with existing resources. Revenue from fines imposed and collected is not anticipated to have a significant fiscal impact.