(a) In this section, “trade association” means a nonprofit, cooperative, and voluntarily joined association of business or professional competitors designed to assist its members and its industry or profession in dealing with mutual business or professional problems and in promoting their common interest.
(b) A person may not serve as public counsel or be an employee of the office who is exempt from the state’s position classification plan or is compensated at or above the amount prescribed by the General Appropriations Act for step 1, salary group A17, of the position classification salary schedule if the person is:
(1) an officer, employee, or paid consultant of a trade association in the field of insurance; or
(2) the spouse of an officer, manager, or paid consultant of a trade association in the field of insurance.