House Bill No. 309 introduces new restrictions on the use of public funds by political subdivisions for lobbying activities. Specifically, it prohibits political subdivisions from spending public funds to hire registered lobbyists for the purpose of lobbying members of the legislature or to pay nonprofit state associations that primarily represent political subdivisions and hire lobbyists. The bill also allows taxpayers or residents of a political subdivision to seek injunctive relief if these restrictions are violated, and those who prevail in such actions can recover reasonable attorney's fees and costs.

Additionally, the bill amends existing laws regarding the spending of county funds on membership fees for nonprofit state associations of counties. It clarifies that counties may only spend money for such memberships if they comply with the new lobbying restrictions. The amendments ensure that any contracts or expenditures that violate these new provisions will be considered void. The bill is set to take effect on September 1, 2025, and applies only to expenditures made on or after that date.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Local Government Code 81.026, Local Government Code 89.002 (Local Government Code 81, Local Government Code 89)