By Hunter                                       H.B. No. 1448

      75R6151 ESH-F                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to reporting of representation before state agencies by

 1-3     state officers and employees.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Sections 2004.004(b) and (c), Government Code,

 1-6     are amended to read as follows:

 1-7           (b)  The agency shall file the report with the Texas Ethics

 1-8     Commission [secretary of state] not later than the 10th day of the

 1-9     month after the end of the calendar quarter for which the report

1-10     was prepared.

1-11           (c)  The Texas Ethics Commission [secretary of state] shall

1-12     index each report and keep the report on file for four years after

1-13     the date the report is filed.

1-14           SECTION 2.  Section 571.030(b), Government Code, is amended

1-15     to read as follows:

1-16           (b)  Money in the fund may be appropriated only to the

1-17     commission to administer and enforce:

1-18                 (1)  this chapter;

1-19                 (2)  Chapters 302, 305, [and] 572, and 2004; and

1-20                 (3)  Title 15, Election Code.

1-21           SECTION 3.  Section 571.061(a), Government Code, is amended

1-22     to read as follows:

1-23           (a)  The commission shall administer and enforce:

1-24                 (1)  Chapters 302, 305, [and] 572, and 2004; and

 2-1                 (2)  Title 15, Election Code.

 2-2           SECTION 4.  Section 571.091(a), Government Code, is amended

 2-3     to read as follows:

 2-4           (a)  The commission shall prepare a written opinion answering

 2-5     the request of a person subject to any of the following laws for an

 2-6     opinion about the application of any of these laws to the person in

 2-7     regard to a specified existing or hypothetical factual situation:

 2-8                 (1)  Chapter 302;

 2-9                 (2)  Chapter 305;

2-10                 (3)  Chapter 572;

2-11                 (4)  Chapter 2004;

2-12                 (5)  Title 15, Election Code;

2-13                 (6) [(5)]  Chapter 36, Penal Code; or

2-14                 (7) [(6)]  Chapter 39, Penal Code.

2-15           SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

2-16           SECTION 6.  Not later than September 15, 1997, the secretary

2-17     of state shall transfer to the Texas Ethics Commission all reports

2-18     filed with the secretary of state under Chapter 2004, Government

2-19     Code, that the secretary of state is required to maintain under

2-20     Section 2004.004(c), Government Code, as that section existed

2-21     before amendment by this Act.

2-22           SECTION 7.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-23     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-24     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-25     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-26     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.