BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center H.B. 1071
79R4098 ATP-F By: Uresti (Van de Putte)
AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Under the Texas Election Code, candidates for public office in the State of Texas are required to file campaign contribution and expenditure reports. These reports list, among other things, the names of campaign contribution donors, the amounts of donations and the candidate’s expenditures made in connection with his or her political campaign.
Section 254.036(a), Election Code, currently governs the form of reports filed with authorities other than the Texas Ethics Commission. As candidates for local office, city council candidates file their campaign contribution and expenditure reports with the Office of the City Clerk, rather than the Texas Ethics Commission. State law currently requires that a local candidate’s financial reports must be written in black ink or typed with black typewriter ribbon unless the report is a computer printout. If the report is a computer printout, the printout must conform to the same format and paper size as the form prescribed by the commission.
A local government would be able to make this information available to the public faster if candidates were allowed to file electronically.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 254.036(a), Election Code, to require each report filed under this chapter (Political Reporting) with an authority other than the Texas Ethics Commission (commission) to be in a format, rather than on a form, prescribed by the commission. Requires a report filed with the commission that is not required to be filed by computer diskette, modem, or other means of electronic transfer to be on a form prescribed by the commission and written in black ink or typed with black typewriter ribbon. Makes a nonsubstantive change.
SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2005.