Texas Government Code 2254.030 – Required Disclosure and Itemization of Certain Expenditures Relating to Lobbying Activities After Entering Into a Consulting Services Contract
(a) A political subdivision that enters or has entered into a contract for consulting services with a state agency, regardless of whether the term of the contract has expired, shall prominently display on the political subdivision’s Internet website the following regarding contracts for services that would require a person to register as a lobbyist under Chapter 305:
(1) the execution dates;
(2) the contract duration terms, including any extension options;
(3) the effective dates;
(4) the final amount of money the political subdivision paid in the previous fiscal year; and
(5) a list of all legislation advocated for, on, or against by all parties and subcontractors to the contract, including the position taken on each piece of legislation in the prior fiscal year.
(b) In lieu of displaying the items described by Subsections (a)(1)-(5) regarding a contract for services that would require a person to register as a lobbyist under Chapter 305, a political subdivision may post on the political subdivision’s Internet website the contract for those services.
Terms Used In Texas Government Code 2254.030
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
- Person: includes corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity. See Texas Government Code 311.005
- Year: means 12 consecutive months. See Texas Government Code 311.005
(c) Information required to be displayed on a political subdivision’s Internet website under this section is public information subject to disclosure under Chapter 552.
(d) The proposed budget of a political subdivision described by Subsection (a) must include, in a manner allowing for as clear a comparison as practicable between those expenditures in the proposed budget and actual expenditures for the same purpose in the preceding year, a line item indicating expenditures for directly or indirectly influencing or attempting to influence the outcome of legislation or administrative action, as those terms are defined in § 305.002.