SB2781

For a person required to register as a lobbyist, Election Code 253.006 already prohibited knowingly making or authorizing certain contributions to another candidate, officeholder or political committee, or direct campaign expenditures, from specified political funds. Those sources include contributions accepted by the person as a candidate or officeholder, a specific-purpose committee supporting or assisting that person, and a political committee that received contributions from either of those sources during the preceding two years. SB2781 preserves that prohibition and adds a civil penalty of up to twice the contribution or expenditure made or authorized in violation. This is not a blanket ban on every political donation by a lobbyist. Final law, section 1; 2019 act establishing the restriction.

A separate existing rule, Election Code 253.007, generally bars registration-triggering lobbying for two years after a person knowingly makes or authorizes the specified contributions or direct campaign expenditures from contributions accepted as a candidate or officeholder. A narrow exception remains for qualifying advocacy on behalf of certain nonprofits, low-income groups or people with disabilities, with no compensation beyond actual-expense reimbursement. SB2781 adds a penalty of up to twice the total covered contributions or expenditures the person made or authorized in the two years before the prohibited lobbying activity. The two-year lookback and aggregate amount matter: this is not necessarily twice just one payment. Final law, section 2; 2019 act: rule and exception.

The introduced, Senate committee, engrossed, House committee and enrolled texts have the same substantive provisions. The introduced text’s lowercase “code” was capitalized in later versions; no legal change resulted. The amendment index lists no amendments. Text versions; Introduced bill; Amendment index; Final law.

Compare the published text versions in the official text index. A change is not attributed to a specific amendment here without a verified record.

People violating the two restrictions face these added, amount-based civil penalties. Compliance and enforcement may help protect campaign-finance safeguards, but the act does not establish that violations or influence will decline. It does not create the underlying restrictions for the first time, impose an automatic twice-the-amount fine, or provide an appropriation. Other enforcement law is outside this short briefing; the new maximums should not be read as a statement of every possible legal consequence. Final law.

The April 25 fiscal note—the only one posted—anticipates no significant fiscal implication for the state or local governments. The Texas Ethics Commission expected no significant fiscal impact, and the Office of Court Administration expected any added caseload could likely be handled with existing resources. These are public-budget estimates, not a prediction of a particular person’s penalty or total future collections. Fiscal note.