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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the use by a county, municipality, or school district of |
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public money for lobbying activities. |
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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. RESTRICTIONS ON LOBBYING ACTIVITIES BY |
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COUNTIES, MUNICIPALITIES, AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS. (a) The governing |
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body of a county, municipality, or school district may not spend |
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public money or provide compensation in any manner to directly or |
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indirectly influence or attempt to influence the outcome of any |
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legislation pending before the legislature. This subsection does |
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not prevent: |
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(1) an officer or employee of a county, municipality, |
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or school district from providing information for a member of the |
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legislature or appearing before a legislative committee; |
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(2) an elected officer of a county, municipality, or |
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school district from advocating for or against or otherwise |
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influencing or attempting to influence the outcome of legislation |
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pending before the legislature, including testifying before a |
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legislative committee; |
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(3) an employee of a county, municipality, or school |
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district from advocating for or against or otherwise influencing or |
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attempting to influence the outcome of legislation pending before |
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the legislature if those actions would not require a person to |
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register as a lobbyist under Chapter 305; |
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(4) a county, municipality, or school district from |
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reimbursing an officer or employee of the county, municipality, or |
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school district for direct travel expenses incurred by the officer |
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or employee for engaging in an activity authorized by Subdivision |
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(1), (2), or (3); |
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(5) a county, municipality, or school district from |
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paying fees or dues or providing compensation in any manner to a |
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nonprofit state association or organization that advocates for or |
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against or otherwise influences or attempts to influence the |
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outcome of legislation pending before the legislature on the |
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collective behalf of counties, municipalities, or school districts |
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in this state, unless the association or organization pays or |
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otherwise compensates an individual required to register as a |
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lobbyist under Chapter 305 for a purpose described by this |
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subdivision, not including a full-time employee of the association |
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or organization; or |
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(6) a county, municipality, or school district from |
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spending public money or providing compensation to an individual |
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required to register as a lobbyist under Chapter 305 for the purpose |
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of influencing or attempting to influence the outcome of |
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legislation pending before the legislature related to the military, |
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military service members, or military veterans. |
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(b) A county, municipality, or school district may not |
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establish a nonprofit association or organization that advocates |
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for or against or otherwise influences or attempts to influence the |
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outcome of legislation pending before the legislature on the behalf |
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of a county, municipality, or school district if the association or |
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organization takes an action described by Subsection (a)(5). |
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(c) If a county, municipality, or school district engages in |
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an activity prohibited by Subsection (a) or (b), a taxpayer or |
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resident of the county, municipality, or school district is |
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entitled to appropriate injunctive relief to prevent any further |
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activity prohibited by those subsections. |
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(d) A taxpayer or resident who prevails in an action under |
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Subsection (c) is entitled to recover from the county, |
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municipality, or school district the taxpayer's or resident's |
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reasonable attorney's fees and costs incurred in bringing the |
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action. |
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SECTION 2. Section 556.0056, Government Code, as added by |
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this Act, applies only to: |
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(1) an expenditure or payment of money or provision of |
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some other compensation by a county, municipality, or school |
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district that is made on or after September 1, 2025; and |
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(2) the establishment of a nonprofit association or |
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organization that takes an action described by Subsection (a)(5) of |
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that section on or after September 1, 2025. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |