A person cannot serve as a public board member, certain board/department employee roles, or board/general counsel roles if specified conflicts of interest or lobbyist-registration conditions apply.
Sec. 202.002. RESTRICTIONS ON BOARD MEMBERSHIP AND DEPARTMENT EMPLOYMENT. (a) A person may not be a public member of the board if the person or the person's spouse: (1) is employed in the field of criminal or juvenile justice; (2) is employed by or participates in the management of a business entity or other organization regulated by or receiving money from the department; (3) owns or controls, directly or indirectly, more than a 10 percent interest in a business entity or other organization regulated by or receiving money from the department; or (4) uses or receives a substantial amount of tangible goods, services, or money from the department, other than compensation or reimbursement authorized by law for board membership, attendance, or expenses. (b) A person may not be a board member and may not be a department employee employed in a "bona fide executive, administrative, or professional capacity," as that phrase is used for purposes of establishing an exemption to the overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. Section 201 et seq.), if: (1) the person is an officer, employee, or paid consultant of a Texas trade association in the field of criminal or juvenile justice; or (2) the person's spouse is an officer, manager, or paid consultant of a Texas trade association in the field of criminal or juvenile justice. (c) A person may not be a board member or act as the general counsel to the board or the department if the person is required to register as a lobbyist under Chapter 305, Government Code, because of the person's activities for compensation on behalf of a profession related to the operation of the department. (d) In this section, "Texas trade association" means a cooperative and voluntarily joined statewide association of business or professional competitors in this state designed to assist its members and its industry or profession in dealing with mutual business or professional problems and in promoting their common interest. Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 85 (S.B. 653), Sec. 1.002, eff. September 1, 2011.