Bill > SB344

This bill modifies lobbying regulations in Texas by changing reporting requirements and expenditure limits for lobbyists. Specifically, the bill reduces the threshold for reporting detailed expenditures from 60% to 30% of the legislative per diem for transportation, lodging, food, and beverages for legislators, executive branch members, or their immediate families. The bill also introduces new requirements for joint expenditures, mandating that if multiple registrants collaborate on an expenditure, each must report the total shared amount if it exceeds the specified limits. Additionally, the bill establishes that lobbyists must notify a legislative or executive branch member when their reported expenditures reach the annual monetary limits, which include a $500 aggregate cap on entertainment, gifts, and awards. The bill makes violations of these new provisions a Class A misdemeanor and applies these changes only to gifts, awards, or expenditures made on or after the bill's effective date. The new regulations aim to increase transparency in lobbying activities by requiring more detailed and comprehensive reporting of expenditures that could potentially influence government officials.

Government Affairs

https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=SB344