Source: https://www.ethics.state.tx.us/legal/ch34.html
Timestamp: 2017-05-28 00:59:06
Document Index: 65671845

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 34', '§ 34', '§ 34', '§ 34', '§ 34', '§ 34', '§ 34', '§ 34', '§ 34', '§ 34', '§ 34', '§ 34', '§ 34', '§ 34', '§ 34', '§ 34', '§ 34', '§ 305', '§ 34', '§ 305', '§ 305', '§ 305', '§\n305', '§ 305', '§\n305', '§ 305', '§ 34', '§ 305', '§ 305', '§ 305', '§ 305', '§ 34', '§ 305', '§3', '§ 34', '§ 305', '§ 305', '§\n34', '§ 34', '§ 305', '§ 305', '§\n305', '§305', '§ 305', '§ 305', '§ 305', '§ 305']

Subchapter E. ELECTRONIC FILING
§ 34.3. Compensation for Preparation Time
§ 34.7. Reimbursement for Office Expenses
§ 34.9. Taxes and Tips
§ 34.11. Attribution of Expenditure to More Than One Person;
Reimbursement of Lobby Expenditure
§ 34.13. Incidental Expenditures for Transportation
§ 34.15. Reporting Subject Matter
§ 34.17. Satisfaction of Presence Requirement by Entity
§ 34.41. Expenditure Threshold
§ 34.63. Assistants
§ 34.65 Compensation Reported by Lobby Firm Employee
§ 34.67. Paid, Earned, and Prospective Compensation
§ 34.69. Subject Matter
§ 34.71. Amending a Registration Form
§ 34.81. Election to File Annually
§ 34.83. Time of Expenditure
§ 34.85. Individual Reporting Expenditure by
(1) Communicates directly with, or any variation of that phrase--In Government Code,
Chapter 305, and in this chapter includes communication by facsimile transmission.
(2) Expenditure--In Government Code, Chapter 305, and in this chapter does not include a payment of less than $200 that is fully reimbursed by the member of the legislative or
executive branch who benefits from the expenditure if the member of the legislative or
executive branch fully reimburses the person making the payment before the date the person
would otherwise be required to report the payment.
(3) Lobby activity--Direct communication with and preparation for direct communication with
a member of the legislative or executive branch to influence legislation or administrative
(4) Registrant--In Government Code, Chapter 305, and in this chapter means a person who is
required to register as well as a person who has registered regardless of whether that
person's registration was required. § 34.3. Compensation for Preparation Time
Compensation a person receives for preparing to communicate directly with a member of
the legislative or executive branch to influence legislation or administrative action is
included in calculating compensation for purposes of the registration and reporting
requirements in Government Code, Chapter 305, and this chapter. Examples of preparation
for lobby communications include participation in strategy sessions, review and analysis
of legislation or administrative matters, research and communication with the
employer/client. A person who does not directly communicate with a member of the
legislative or executive branch to influence legislation or administrative action is not
required to register because of compensation received for preparing to do so.
(a) Compensation received for the following activities is not included for purposes of calculating the registration threshold under Government Code § 305.003(a)(2) and this chapter:
(1) requesting a written opinion that interprets a law, regulation, rule, policy,
practice, or procedure administered by a state office or agency;
(2) preparation or submission of an application or other written document that merely
provides information required by law, statute, rule, regulation, order, or subpoena, or
that responds to a document prepared by a state agency;
(3) communicating merely for the purpose of demonstrating compliance with an audit,
inspection, examination of a financial institution, or government investigation to
interpret and determine compliance with existing laws, rules, policies, and procedures;
(4) communicating for the purpose of achieving compliance with existing laws, rules,
policies, and procedures, including communications to show qualification for an exception
of general applicability that is available under existing laws, rules, policies, and
(5) providing to a member of the legislative
or executive branch information consisting of facts or data that the member requested in writing regarding legislation or administrative action , when the request was not solicited by or on behalf of the person
(6) communicating to an agency's legal counsel, an administrative law judge, or a
hearings examiner concerning litigation or adjudicative proceedings to which the agency is
a party, or concerning adjudicative proceedings of that agency;
(7) providing testimony, making an appearance, or any other type of communication
documented as part of a public record in a proceeding of an adjudicative nature of the
type authorized by or subject to the Administrative Procedure Act, Government Code,
Chapter 2001, whether or not that proceeding is subject to the Open Meetings Law;
(8) providing oral or written comments, making an appearance, or any other type of
communication, if documented as part of a public record in an agency's rule-making
proceeding under the Administrative Procedure Act, Government Code, Chapter 2001, or in
public records kept in connection with a legislative hearing; or
(9) providing only clerical assistance to another in connection with the other
person's lobbying (for example, a person who merely types or delivers another person's
letter to a member).
Reimbursement received for the following office expenses is not included in calculating
reimbursement for purposes of the registration and reporting requirements in Government
Code, Chapter 305, and this chapter.
(1) long distance telephone charges;
(2) delivery charges;
(3) photocopy expenses;
(4) facsimile expenses;
(6) postage; and
(7) dues and subscriptions.
Taxes and tips are not included in determining the amount of an expenditure for
purposes of Government Code, Chapter 305, and this chapter.
§ 34.11. Attribution of Expenditure to More Than One Person; Reimbursement of Lobby Expenditure
(a) Except as provided by Government Code, § 305.0021, a lobby expenditure made on a person's behalf and with the person's consent or
ratification is an expenditure by that person for purposes of registration and reporting
under Government Code, Chapter 305, and this chapter.
(b) Payment of reimbursement to a registrant is not included for purposes of
calculation of the registration threshold under Government Code, § 305.003(a)(1), and is
not required to be reported if the registrant receiving the reimbursement reports the
expenditure on a lobby activity report.
(c) A registrant is not required to report a lobby expenditure attributable to more
than one person if another registrant has reported the expenditure.
Government Code, § 305.024(a)(3), does not prohibit an expenditure for transportation
of incidental value such as transportation in the form of a ride of short duration in a
personal car or taxi.
(a) For purposes of Section 305.025(3), Government Code, an expenditure for transportation or lodging provided to a member of the legislative or executive branch is for a fact-finding trip only if:
(1) the expenditure is necessary for the member to obtain information that directly relates to the member's official duties;
(3) the expenditure is not for the member's attendance at a merely ceremonial event or pleasure trip.
(b) If an expenditure made for transportation or lodging for a fact-finding trip is required to be disclosed on a lobby activities report by Section 305.0061(a), Government Code, the purpose of the transportation or lodging must include a description of the information that the expenditure was necessary to obtain under subsection (a) of this section.
(a) A registrant reporting subject matter under Government Code, §
305.005(f)(4),
(f)(5)(B), or § 305.006(d), of this chapter, shall report subject matter by marking the
appropriate subject matter categories.
(b) A registrant reporting the subject matter of communications to influence
administrative action shall also report, if known or reasonably available to the
registrant, the docket number or other administrative designation of any administrative
action that is the subject of the registrant's direct communication with a member of the
executive branch, and the name of the agency or department at which the administrative
An entity may satisfy the presence requirement in Government Code §
305.006(f), and § 305.024(a)(7), by the presence of:
(1) an individual registrant who represents the entity; or
(2) a person whose position, authority, or conduct on behalf of the entity could
support an award of exemplary damages against the entity.
§ 34.19.Courtesy Notices by Electronic Mail
(a) A person must register under Government Code, § 305.003(a)(1), if the person makes total expenditures of more than $500 in a calendar quarter, not including expenditures for
the person's own travel, food, lodging, or membership dues, on activities described in
Government Code § 305.006(b) to communicate directly with one or more members of the
(b) An expenditure made by a member of the judicial, legislative, or executive branch of state government or an officer or employee of a political subdivision of the state acting in his or her official capacity is not included for purposes of determining whether a person is required to register under Government Code, § 305.003(a)(1).
(c) An expenditure made in connection with an event to promote the interests of a designated geographic area or political subdivision is not included for purposes of determining whether a person has crossed the registration threshold in Government Code, § 305.003(a)(1), if the expenditure is made by a group that exists for the limited purpose of sponsoring the event or by a person acting on behalf of such a group.
§ 34.43. Compensation and Reimbursement Threshold (amendments effective January 1, 2017)
(a) A person must register under Government Code, § 305.003(a)(2), if the person
receives, or is entitled to receive under an agreement under which the person is retained or employed more than $1,000 in a calendar quarter in compensation and reimbursement, not
including reimbursement for the person's own travel, food, lodging, or membership dues,
from one or more other persons to communicate directly with a member of the legislative or
executive branch to influence legislation or administrative action.
(b) For purposes of Government Code, §3 05.003(a)(2), and this chapter, a person is not required to register if the person spends not more than 40 hours for which the person is compensated or reimbursed during a calendar quarter engaging in lobby activity, including preparatory activity as described by § 34.3 of this title.
(c) For purposes of Government Code, § 305.003(a)(2), and this chapter, a person shall make a reasonable allocation of compensation between compensation for lobby activity and
compensation for other activities.
(a) An entity that is required to register under Government Code, § 305.003, and this chapter may nonetheless avoid registration if all activity otherwise reportable by the
entity is reported by one or more individual registrants in accordance with §
34.65 and § 34.85 of this title (relating to Compensation Reported by Lobby Firm Employee and
Individual Reporting Expenditure by Entity).
(a) For purposes of Government Code, § 305.005(f)(5), a person "employed or
retained by the registrant for the purpose of assisting in direct communication" includes any person who provides administrative or research assistance to the registrant
but does not include a person who provides only clerical or secretarial help.
(b) An individual employed by the same employer as the registrant and who assists the registrant at the direction of the registrant is "employed or retained" by the registrant for purposes of Government Code, § 305.005(f)(5).
(c) A person listed by a registrant as an assistant under Government Code, §
305.005(f)(5), is required to register if the assistant meets one of the registration
thresholds under Government Code, §305.003, and this chapter.
(a) An individual registrant employed, reimbursed, or retained by a business entity that receives compensation and/or reimbursement for lobby activity is required to report
all compensation and/or reimbursement paid to the entity for lobby activity by that
(b) An individual registrant employed, reimbursed, or retained by a business entity that receives compensation and/or reimbursement for lobby activity may also report
compensation and/or reimbursement paid to the entity for lobby activity by one or more
other persons if the entity requests that the individual do so in order for the entity to
avoid registration.
(a) For purposes of Government Code, § 305.005, and this chapter, compensation may be reported in any one of the following three ways:
(1) compensation actually paid for lobby activity during the year of registration as of the date the registration form or amended registration form is filed;
(2) compensation earned for lobby activity during the year of registration as of the date the registration form or amended registration form is filed, regardless of whether
(3) promised compensation for lobby activity during the year of registration, regardless of whether earned or paid on the date the registration form or amended
registration form is filed.
(b) A registrant shall indicate on a registration form or amended registration form whether compensation is reported under subsection (a)(1), (2), or (3) of this section.
A registrant shall report the subject matter of lobby activity, in accordance with Government Code, § 305.005(f)(4), with respect to each person who reimburses, retains, or
employs the registrant to engage in lobby activity.
(a) A change with respect to a docket number or other administrative designation is not required to be reported on an amended registration unless the docket number or other
administrative designation is related to a subject matter category not previously reported
(b) Except as necessary to report changed information, a registrant shall not report information about subject matter on an amended registration form that the registrant
reported on the registration form or on a previous amended registration form.
(c) A registrant is not required to report on an amended registration form
reimbursement received for a lobby expenditure that the registrant will report on a lobby
A registrant who is eligible to file an annual lobby activity report under Government Code, § 305.0063, may elect to do so at any time during the registration year.
For reporting purposes, an expenditure is not made until the amount of the expenditure is readily determinable by the person making the expenditure. If the normal business
practice of a vendor or service provider is to make the amount charged known by sending a
bill after expenses are incurred, the date of the expenditure, for reporting purposes, is
the date the person billed receives the bill.
(a) An individual registrant may report an expenditure made by a lobby entity if the entity requests that the individual do so in order for the entity to avoid registration ; and (1) the entity makes the expenditure in order for the individual to act on the entity's behalf to communicate directly with a member of the legislative or executive branch to influence legislation or administrative action; or
(2) the entity compensates or reimburses the individual to act on behalf of the entity or on behalf of the entity's clients to communicate directly with a member of the legislative or executive branch to influence legislation or administrative action.
(d) In this provision "lobby entity" means a corporation, association, firm, partnership, committee, club, organization, or other group of persons voluntarily acting
in concert that meets one of the registration thresholds in Government Code, § 305.003.
(a) A registrant is required to file each report electronically by using the Internet to transmit the report, by using the web-based filing application provided by the commission, unless the registrant files with the commission an affidavit stating that:
(1) the registrant does not use a computer or mobile device, including a tablet or smartphone with access to the Internet;
(2) no person acting as an agent or consultant of the registrant and no person with whom the registrant contracts uses a computer or mobile device, including a tablet or smartphone with access to the Internet;
(3) the registrant does not intend to be compensated or reimbursed for lobby activity in the calendar year covered by the registration;
(4) the registrant was not compensated for lobby activity in either of the previous two calendar years;
(5) the registrant does not intend to make lobby expenditures during the calendar year covered by the registration; and
(6) the registrant did not make lobby expenditures in either of the previous two calendar years.
(c) A registrant who is eligible to file under subsection (a) of this section must file an affidavit under subsection (a) of this section with each report filed under Chapter 305 of the Government Code and this chapter.
(d) A registrant who during a calendar year becomes
ineligible to file on paper based on the criteria listed in subsection (a) of
this section must file electronically beginning on the date on which the next
report is due under section 305.007 of the Government Code.
(e) For purposes of this section, "lobby
expenditure" means expenditures required to be reported under Chapter 305 of
the Government Code and this chapter.
(f) For purposes of this section, a "report" includes any document required to be filed by a registrant under Chapter 305 of the Government Code and this chapter except that it does not include notices and statements required to be filed under section 305.028 of the Government Code.
(g) For purposes of this section, a "report" includes the confidential social security information required to be filed by a lobbyist in compliance with section 231.302(c)(1) of the Family Code.