Honorable Sarah Davis, Chair, House Committee on General Investigating & Ethics
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB504 by Geren (Relating to lobbying by former members of the legislature; creating an offense.), As Introduced
The provisions of the bill addressed by this analysis would amend the Government Code as it relates to the creation of the offense of lobbying by former members of the legislature. Under the provisions of the bill, engaging in activities that require registration as a lobbyist by certain legislators within a certain period of time following the legislative cycle in which the former legislator last served would be punishable as a Class A Misdemeanor.
A Class A misdemeanor is punishable by a fine of not more than $4,000, confinement in a county jail for a term not to exceed one year, or both.
Expanding the list of behaviors for which a criminal penalty is applied is expected to result in increased demands upon the correctional resources of counties or of the State due to longer terms of supervision in the community or longer terms of confinement in state correctional institutions. This analysis assumes the provisions of the bill affecting felony sanctions would not result in a significant impact on the demand of state correctional resources.