By Salinas                                            H.B. No. 1870
         77R6591 ESH-F                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the determination of a relationship by affinity under
 1-3     the nepotism prohibitions applicable to public officials.
 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
1-10                 (2)  the spouse of one of the individuals is related by
1-11     consanguinity to the other individual.
1-12           (b)  The ending of a marriage by divorce or the death of a
1-13     spouse ends relationships by affinity created by that marriage
1-14     unless a child of that marriage is living, in which case the
1-15     marriage is considered to continue as long as a child of that
1-16     marriage is under [lives.]
1-17           [(c)  Subsection (b) applies to a member of the board of
1-18     trustees of or an officer of a school district only until the
1-19     youngest child of the marriage reaches] the age of 21 years.
1-20           SECTION 2.   The change in law made by this Act to Section
1-21     573.024, Government Code, applies only to the appointment of an
1-22     individual to a position that is to be directly or indirectly
1-23     compensated from public funds or fees of office that is made by a
1-24     public official on or after September 1, 2001.  The appointment of
 2-1     an individual to a position that is to be directly or indirectly
 2-2     compensated from public funds or fees of office that is made by a
 2-3     public official before September 1, 2001, is governed by the law in
 2-4     effect at the time the appointment was made, and the former law is
 2-5     continued in effect for that purpose.
 2-6           SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.