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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to restrictions on legislative lobbying by a regional |
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mobility authority or an employee of a regional mobility authority. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 370, Transportation Code, |
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is amended by adding Section 370.2524 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 370.2524. LEGISLATIVE LOBBYING. (a) An authority or |
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an employee of an authority may not use money under the authority's |
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control or engage in an activity to influence the passage or defeat |
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of legislation. |
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(b) Violation of Subsection (a) is grounds for dismissal of |
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an employee. |
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(c) This section does not prohibit an authority or an |
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employee of an authority from using state resources to: |
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(1) provide public information or information |
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responsive to a request; or |
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(2) communicate with officers and employees of the |
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federal government in pursuit of federal appropriations or |
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programs. |
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(d) An authority may not spend from funds appropriated to |
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the department any money for the purpose of selecting, hiring, or |
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retaining a person required to register under Chapter 305, |
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Government Code, or the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. |
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Section 1601 et seq.), unless that expenditure is allowed under |
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state law. |
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SECTION 2. Section 370.2524, Transportation Code, as added |
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by this Act, applies only to an expenditure made or an activity |
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engaged in on or after the effective date of this Act. An |
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expenditure made or an activity engaged in before the effective |
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date of this Act is governed by the law in effect when the |
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expenditure was made or the activity was engaged in, and the former |
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law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |