Legislative Affairs
Legislative Affairs is the interface with the Texas Legislature, Congress, and senior state and federal executive branch officials.
Our role is to maximize engagement with elected officials and agency leaders by setting up meetings and facilitating impactful discussions among stakeholders, navigating the complex processes of Congress and state legislatures, providing expert legislative analysis, ensuring compliance with lobbying laws, and influencing policy to benefit Tarleton State University and The Texas A&M University System (TAMUS).
State Employees and the Legislative Process
The following sources of information are related to state employees and the legislative process and are summarized below:
System Regulation 60-02, Governmental Relations
Texas Government Code, Chapter 556. Political Activities by Certain Public Entities and Individuals
System Policy 07.03, Conflicts of Interest, Dual Office Holding, and Political Activities
Rights as a Citizen
As citizens, we “enjoy all constitutional rights and privileges concerning freedom of speech and participation in political events …” However, as a state-supported institution of higher education, Tarleton State is “required to remain neutral in partisan political activities.”
When contacting elected officials to exercise your constitutional rights, please remember that you may only represent yourself, not the university or The Texas A&M System.
As a University Employee
The University President, Texas A&M System Chancellor, and delegates are the individuals officially responsible for setting and communicating legislative priorities to elected officials. Lawmakers may seek expert testimony for various topics, so if you are contacted by legislators or their staff to provide expertise, professional opinions, etc., please notify the Deputy Chief of Staff or the President’s Office immediately. This gives an awareness of activities that may have ties to Tarleton State and promotes effective communication with TAMUS Governmental Relations and the Chancellor.
University employees may not lobby on behalf of or for other causes in the name of the university. Asking an elected official to support or not support proposed legislation violates state law.
Personal Political Activism as a State Employee
As a state employee, you may not:
- Express your personal opinions as the university’s opinions.
- Use your title or the name of the university in personal political efforts.
- Use Tarleton State email, university letterhead, etc., in correspondence related to political issues.
- Use/wear university-branded materials or clothing during non-university-sanctioned face-to-face visits with legislators.
Before meeting with elected officials or inviting them to events, first communicate with the Deputy Chief of Staff or the President’s Office to ensure that all relevant university and System officials are aware.
For more information about the legislative process and our emphasis, email Deputy Chief of Staff, Lauren Gillespie, at lgillespie@tarleton.edu.