BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3882

By: Larson

General Investigating & Ethics

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties express concern that elected officials entering lucrative lobbying positions soon after completing their term in office may lead to conflicts of interest and other ethical violations when these lobbyists attempt to influence their former colleagues. H.B. 3882 seeks to address this concern by prohibiting statewide elected officers and their staff members from engaging in lobbying activity for two years after leaving their position with the state.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill expressly does one or more of the following: creates a criminal offense, increases the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or changes the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 3882 amends the Government Code to prohibit a former statewide elected officer from engaging in activities that require registration under statutory provisions relating to lobbyist registration before the second anniversary of the first day of the month following the date the person ceases to hold the office and to prohibit a person who is employed by and reports directly to a statewide elected officer in the officer's official capacity from engaging in such activities before the second anniversary of the date the person ceases to be employed by the elected officer. The bill creates a Class A misdemeanor offense for a person who violates either such prohibition.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.