By Maxey                                              H.B. No. 2041
       74R6002 MJW-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the application of the state's nepotism prohibitions to
    1-3  certain unmarried individuals who reside together.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Section 573.024, Government Code, is amended to
    1-6  read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 573.024.  DETERMINATION OF AFFINITY.  (a)  Two
    1-8  individuals are related to each other by affinity if:
    1-9              (1)  they are married to each other or reside together
   1-10  as unmarried partners who share personal and financial
   1-11  responsibilities; or
   1-12              (2)  the spouse or partner, as described by Subdivision
   1-13  (1), of one of the individuals is related by consanguinity to the
   1-14  other individual.
   1-15        (b)  For purposes of this chapter:
   1-16              (1)  a reference to a husband, wife, or spouse of an
   1-17  individual includes a partner described by Subsection (a); and
   1-18              (2)  a reference to marriage includes a relationship
   1-19  between partners described by Subsection (a) unless the partners no
   1-20  longer reside together.
   1-21        (c) <(b)>  The ending of a marriage by divorce or the death
   1-22  of a spouse ends relationships by affinity created by that marriage
   1-23  unless a child of that marriage is living, in which case the
   1-24  marriage is considered to continue as long as a child of that
    2-1  marriage lives.
    2-2        SECTION 2.  (a)  The change in law made by this Act regarding
    2-3  application of the state's nepotism prohibitions applies only to an
    2-4  appointment or confirmation of an individual that occurs on or
    2-5  after the effective date of this Act.
    2-6        (b)  An appointment or confirmation of an individual that
    2-7  occurred before the effective date of this Act is covered by the
    2-8  law in effect on the date on which the appointment or confirmation
    2-9  occurred, and the former law is continued in effect for that
   2-10  purpose.
   2-11        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-12  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-13  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-14  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-15  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   2-16  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   2-17  passage, and it is so enacted.