IMF H.B. 1659 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS STATE AFFAIRS H.B. 1659 By: Gallego 4-27-97 Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND Currently, district attorneys and criminal district attorneys file personal financial disclosure statements by the same requirements as county officials. However, district attorneys and criminal district attorneys do not have to file these statements, in some situations, if they run unopposed. And current law does not make district attorneys file the same type of personal financial disclosure statements. PURPOSE As proposed, H.B. 1659 would change the definition of "Elected officer" to include a district attorney or criminal district attorney. This change would apply all state personal financial disclosure statement requirement to district attorneys and criminal district attorneys. 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. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 572.002 (4) of the Government Code to add district attorney or criminal district attorney to the definition of "Elected officer." SECTION 2. Amends the heading to Chapter 159 of the Local Government Code to "FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE BY COUNTY [OR DISTRICT] OFFICERS AND [COUNTY] EMPLOYEES." SECTION 3. Amends the heading to Subchapter A, Chapter 159 of the Local Government Code to "FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE BY CERTAIN COUNTY [OR DISTRICT] OFFICERS. SECTION 4. Amends Section 159.002 (2) of the Local Government Code with a conforming change. SECTION 5. Amends Section 159.004 (a) of the Local Government Code with a conforming change. SECTION 6. Amends Section 159.005 (a) of the Local Government Code with a conforming change. SECTION 7. Amends Section 159.008 of the Local Government Code with conforming changes. SECTION 8. Amends Section 159.009 (a) and (c) of the Local Government Code with conforming changes. SECTION 9. Amends Section 159.014 (a) and (c) of the Local Government Code with conforming changes. SECTION 10. Effective date: September 1, 1997. SECTION 11 (a). Requires a district attorney or criminal district attorney to file a personal financial disclosure statement with the Texas Ethics Commission for 1997 as if he/she were subject to the requirement for the entire year. Provides that a district attorney or criminal district attorney who was subject to Subchapter A, Chapter 159 of the Local Government Code is not required to submit a personal financial disclosure statement for 1997. SECTION 11 (b)-(c). Makes this Act prospective. SECTION 12. Emergency clause.