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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the authorization of expenditures for lobbying |
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activities by certain political subdivisions and other public |
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entities. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 556, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Section 556.0056 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 556.0056. USE OF PUBLIC MONEY FOR LOBBYING ACTIVITIES. |
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(a) In this section: |
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(1) "Political subdivision" means: |
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(A) an appraisal district; |
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(B) a regional mobility authority; |
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(C) a transit authority; |
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(D) a regional tollway authority; |
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(E) a community college district; |
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(F) a river authority; |
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(G) any other political subdivision that imposes |
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a tax; |
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(H) any other political subdivision or special |
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district that has the authority to issue bonds, including revenue |
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bonds; or |
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(I) any other special purpose district. |
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(2) "Public entity" means: |
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(A) an institution of higher education, as |
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defined by Section 61.003, Education Code; or |
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(B) a publicly owned utility. |
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(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), a political |
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subdivision or a public entity may not spend public money to |
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directly or indirectly influence or attempt to influence the |
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outcome of any legislation pending before the legislature. |
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(c) A political subdivision or a public entity may spend |
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public money to directly or indirectly influence or attempt to |
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influence the outcome of any legislation pending before the |
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legislature only if the expenditure is authorized by a majority |
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vote of the governing body of the political subdivision or public |
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entity in an open meeting of the governing body. The expenditure |
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must be voted on by the governing body as a stand-alone item on the |
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agenda at the meeting. |
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(d) If a political subdivision or public entity does not |
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comply with the requirements of this section, an interested party |
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is entitled to appropriate injunctive relief to prevent any further |
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activity in violation of this section. For purposes of this |
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subsection, "interested party" means a person who: |
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(1) is a taxpayer of a political subdivision or public |
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entity; or |
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(2) is served by or receives services from a political |
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subdivision or public entity. |
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SECTION 2. Section 556.0056, Government Code, as added by |
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this Act, applies only to an expenditure or payment of public money |
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by a political subdivision or public entity that is made on or after |
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September 1, 2019. An expenditure or payment of public money by a |
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political subdivision or public entity that is made before |
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September 1, 2019, is governed by the law in effect on the date the |
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expenditure or payment is made, and the former law is continued in |
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effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |