Affirmative defenses for failure to register.
Houston Code of Ordinances § 18-73
in effectSec. 18-73. - Affirmative defenses for failure to register.
It shall be an affirmative defense to prosecution for failure to register under this article that:
(1) The person owns, publishes, or is employed by a newspaper, any other regularly published periodical, a radio station, a television station, a wire service, or any other bona fide news medium that in the ordinary course of business disseminates news, letters to the editor, editorial or other comments, or paid advertisements that directly or indirectly oppose or promote legislation or administrative action, provided the person does not engage in further or other activities that require registration under this article and has not been retained to represent another person in connection with influencing municipal legislation or administrative action;
(2) The person's only direct communication with a member of the legislative or executive branch to influence municipal legislation or administrative action is an appearance before or testimony to one or more members of the legislative or executive branch in a hearing conducted by or on behalf of either the legislative or the executive branch or public expression at a meeting of city officials, provided that the hearing or meeting is open to the public under the Open Meetings Act, Chapter 551, Texas Government Code, and that the person receives no special or extra compensation for the appearance other than actual expenses incurred in attending the hearing;
(3) The person's only activity is to encourage or solicit members, employees, or stockholders of an entity by whom the person is retained or members of a union or association to which the person belongs to communicate directly with members of the legislative or executive branch to influence municipal legislation or administrative action;
(4) The person's only activity to influence municipal legislation or administrative action is to compensate or reimburse a registrant to act in the person's behalf to communicate directly with a member of the legislative or executive branch to influence municipal legislation or administrative action;
(5) The person's only activity to influence municipal legislation or administrative action is attendance at a meeting or entertainment event that is also attended by a member of the legislative or executive branch if the total cost of that meeting or entertainment event is paid by a business entity, union, or association; or
(6) The person's only compensation or reimbursement subject to section 18-72(a)(2) of this Code consists of reimbursement for any wages not earned due to attendance at a meeting or entertainment event, travel to and from the meeting or entertainment event, admission to the meeting or entertainment event, and any food and beverage consumed at the meeting or entertainment event, if the meeting or entertainment event is also attended by a member of the legislative or executive branch and if the total cost of the meeting or entertainment event is paid by a business entity, union, or association.
(Ord. No. 98-732, § 2, 8-26-98)
Source: City of Houston, Code of Ordinances and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/houston/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH18ETFIDI_ARTVLO_S18-73AFDEFAREFetched: 10/26/2026