By: Shaheen	H.B. No. 1257

	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to the use by a political subdivision of public money for
	lobbying activities or lobbyists.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  Section 89.002, Local Government Code, is
	transferred to Chapter 556, Government Code, redesignated as
	Section 556.0056, Government Code, and amended to read as follows:
	Sec. 556.0056 [89.002].  LOBBYING ACTIVITIES; ASSOCIATIONS
	AND ORGANIZATIONS [STATE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES].  (a)  This
	section applies to:
	(1)  a political subdivision that imposes a tax; or
	(2)  a regional mobility authority, toll road
	authority, or transit authority.
	(b)  The governing body of a political subdivision may not
	spend public money to directly or indirectly influence or attempt
	to influence the outcome of any legislation pending before the
	legislature.  This subsection does not prevent:
	(1)  an officer or employee of a political subdivision
	from providing information for a member of the legislature or
	appearing before a legislative committee at the request of the
	committee or the member of the legislature; or
	(2)  an elected officer of a political subdivision from
	advocating for or against or otherwise influencing or attempting to
	influence the outcome of legislation pending before the legislature
	while acting as an officer of the political subdivision.
	(c)  The governing body of a political subdivision
	[commissioners court] may spend, in the name of the political
	subdivision [county], public money [from the county's general fund]
	for membership fees and dues of a nonprofit state association or
	organization of similarly situated political subdivisions only
	[counties] if:
	(1)  a majority of the governing body [court] votes to
	approve membership in the association or organization;
	(2)  the association or organization exists for the
	betterment of local [county] government and the benefit of all
	local [county] officials;
	(3)  the association or organization is not affiliated
	with a labor organization;
	(4)  neither the association or organization nor an
	employee of the association or organization directly or indirectly
	influences or attempts to influence the outcome of any legislation
	pending before the legislature[, except that this subdivision does
	not prevent a person from providing information for a member of the
	legislature or appearing before a legislative committee at the
	request of the committee or the member of the legislature]; and
	(5)  neither the association or organization [nor an
	employee of the association or organization]
	directly or indirectly
	contributes any money, services, or other valuable thing to a
	political campaign or endorses a candidate or group of candidates
	for public office.
	(d)  Subsection (c)(4) does not prevent a person from
	providing information for a member of the legislature or appearing
	before a legislative committee at the request of the committee or
	the member of the legislature.
	(e)  A political subdivision may not employ in any capacity a
	person required to register as a lobbyist under Chapter 305.
	(f)  If a political subdivision engages in an activity
	prohibited by Subsection (b) or (e) or if [(b)  If] any association
	or organization supported wholly or partly by payments of tax
	receipts from political subdivisions engages in an activity
	described by Subsection (c)(4) [(a)(4)] or (5), a taxpayer of a
	political subdivision that pays fees or dues to the association or
	organization is entitled to appropriate injunctive relief to
	prevent any further activity prohibited by Subsection (b) or (e) or
	described by Subsection (c)(4) [(a)(4)] or (5) or any further
	payments of fees or dues.
	(g)  A taxpayer who prevails in an action under Subsection
	(f) is entitled to recover from the political subdivision the
	taxpayer's reasonable attorney's fees and costs incurred in
	bringing the action.
	SECTION 2.  Section 556.0056, Government Code, as
	redesignated and amended by this Act, applies only to an
	expenditure or payment of public funds by a political subdivision
	that is made on or after September 1, 2015. An expenditure or
	payment of public funds by a political subdivision that is made
	before September 1, 2015, is governed by the law in effect on the
	date the expenditure or payment is made, and the former law is
	continued in effect for that purpose.
	SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.