BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1828

By: Turner

State Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Although state law provides that the personal financial statements filed by state officers, candidates for elective office, or a state party chair are public records, there is currently no requirement that these statements be posted online where the public can find them with ease. H.B. 1828 seeks to make these personal financial statements easily accessible to the public by requiring them to be posted on the Texas Ethics Commission's website.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1828 amends the Government Code to require the Texas Ethics Commission (TEC) to make a personal financial statement filed by a state officer, candidate for an office as an elected officer, or a state party chair available to the public on the TEC website not later than the 15th day after the date the statement is required to be filed or is actually filed, whichever is later. The bill establishes that the TEC is not required to continue to make a statement of a former state officer available on its website after the second anniversary of the date the individual ceases to be a state officer and prohibits the TEC from doing so if it has received notification from the former state officer to have the statement destroyed as provided for by state law.    

H.B. 1828 repeals Section 572.032(b), Government Code, which requires the TEC to keep a record of requests to see a financial statement during the one-year period after the statement is filed.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.