The Professional Advocacy Association of Texas (PAAT) is Texas’ only statewide organization for the lobby community. 

PAAT’s mission includes:

• Protecting the public interest to petition the government;
• Promoting government affairs advocacy as a professional practice;
• Supporting open, transparent and ethical practice of government advocacy;
• Representing the interests of government advocacy and PAAT members at the Texas Legislature;
• Representing the interests of PAAT members and the lobby practice at the Texas Ethics Commission;
• Providing a clear understanding of the ethics laws and rules in Texas; and
• Hosting events and professional education opportunities for PAAT members.

PAAT represents the issues and concerns of our membership before state government and the Ethics Commission, enhances the image of the public advocacy profession and serves as a trusted referral source for those seeking legislative representation. Our mission is to enhance the public perception and understanding of the advocacy profession in Texas, while providing opportunities to heighten professionalism, integrity and ethical

standards.

In addition to regular ethics and advocacy advice and consultation, over the past 18 years PAAT has managed ten annual Ethics Compliance Institutes, hosted regular roundtable events, and defended against legislation and Ethics Commission advisory opinions that would have had a negative impact on our profession. We have also supported numerous laws that positively impact our practices, including:

• Obtained rule changes to allow expedited access to the Capitol;
• Supported legislation to allow registrants to make corrections to lobby reports without penalty; and
• Defended against an excessive increase in the lobby registration fee.

Over the years PAAT has also worked hard to address lobby-related issues with the media and other stakeholders to ensure our positions and interests have been represented accurately. 

Through it all, PAAT is there, representing your interests, protecting your rights and keeping you informed. We are attending the meetings, reading the fine print and standing up publicly to advocate the importance of our right to petition the government.