Enrolled Bill Summary

Senate Bill 217	Senate Author:  Patrick et al.
Effective:  See below	House Sponsor:  Anchia

            Senate Bill 217 amends the Government Code and other law relating to the continuation and functions of the state employee charitable campaign.  The bill continues the charitable campaign until September 1, 2017; changes the number of state employee charitable campaign policy committee members from 13 to 9; requires the governor, lieutenant governor, and comptroller of public accounts to attempt to appoint committee members from institutions of higher education and a range of small, medium, and large state agencies; and expands and revises the duties of the committee.  The term of each current member of the state policy committee expires September 1, 2013, and the bill requires the new appointments with staggered terms to be made no later than September 2, 2013.

            Senate Bill 217 sets out grounds for removing a member from the state policy committee; requires a qualified member who is appointed to the committee to complete a training program; establishes the information required to be included in a training program; revises the duties of the state campaign manager; revises the composition, terms, and duties of the state advisory committee; and revises provisions relating to applications by federations or charitable organizations to participate in the campaign and requirements relating to certain fees, among other provisions.  The bill repeals the statutes that provide for the establishment of the local state employee charitable campaign committee and the local campaign manager and instead includes among the revised duties of the state policy committee the requirement that the state policy committee appoint any necessary local campaign committees and managers.

            Current law prohibits a charitable organization from spending more than 25 percent of its annual revenue for administrative and fund-raising expenses. Senate Bill 217 clarifies that each eligible federation and charitable organization is subject to that prohibition; provides that a federation or organization that participated in the state employee charitable campaign before June 20, 2003, is not barred from participation in the program solely as a result of certain changes made by previous legislation; establishes that these provisions apply only to the eligibility of a charitable organization to participate in, and the use of contributions from, a state employee charitable campaign conducted on or after January 1, 2014; and provides that these provisions are effective January 1, 2014.  All other provisions of the bill take effect September 1, 2013.