Texas Government Code 572.054 – Representation by Former Officer or Employee of Regulatory Agency Restricted; Criminal Offense
(a) A former member of the governing body or a former executive head of a regulatory agency may not make any communication to or appearance before an officer or employee of the agency in which the member or executive head served before the second anniversary of the date the member or executive head ceased to be a member of the governing body or the executive head of the agency if the communication or appearance is made:
(1) with the intent to influence; and
(2) on behalf of any person in connection with any matter on which the person seeks official action.
(b) A former state officer or employee of a regulatory agency who ceases service or employment with that agency on or after January 1, 1992, may not represent any person or receive compensation for services rendered on behalf of any person regarding a particular matter in which the former officer or employee participated during the period of state service or employment, either through personal involvement or because the case or proceeding was a matter within the officer’s or employee’s official responsibility.
Attorney's Note
Under the Texas Codes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class A misdemeanor | up to 1 year | up to $4,000 |
Terms Used In Texas Government Code 572.054
- Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
- Comptroller: means the state comptroller of public accounts. See Texas Government Code 312.011
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- 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
(c) Subsection (b) applies only to:
(1) a state officer of a regulatory agency; or
(2) a state employee of a regulatory agency who is compensated, as of the last date of state employment, at or above the amount prescribed by the General Appropriations Act for step 1, salary group 17, of the position classification salary schedule, including an employee who is exempt from the state’s position classification plan.
(d) Subsection (b) does not apply to a rulemaking proceeding that was concluded before the officer’s or employee’s service or employment ceased.
(e) Other law that restricts the representation of a person before a particular state agency by a former state officer or employee of that agency prevails over this section.
(f) An individual commits an offense if the individual violates this section. An offense under this subsection is a Class A misdemeanor.
(g) In this section, the comptroller and the secretary of state are not excluded from the definition of “regulatory agency.”
(g-1) For purposes of this section, the Department of Information Resources is a regulatory agency.
(h) In this section:
(1) “Participated” means to have taken action as an officer or employee through decision, approval, disapproval, recommendation, giving advice, investigation, or similar action.
(2) “Particular matter” means a specific investigation, application, request for a ruling or determination, rulemaking proceeding, contract, claim, charge, accusation, arrest, or judicial or other proceeding.