BILL ANALYSIS
By: Uresti
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Under current law, most individuals and political action committees who are required to file political activity reports with the Texas Ethics Commission (commission) must file these reports electronically. Proponents of electronic filing believe that this method allows the public to see the reports faster and creates more transparency of the funding of campaigns. Contribution and expenditure reports that are not filed with the commission, but with local governing authorities such as the city clerk, however, must be submitted on a form prescribed by the commission. The city council in San Antonio has recently passed an ordinance enacting a code of municipal campaign finance regulations. This ordinance includes a provision directing research into the development and implementation of electronic campaign finance reporting for the city, but current state law does not clearly allow cities to implement electronic filing. House Bill 1071 amends the Election Code to reflect the potential use of electronic filing for candidates who file with authorities other than the Texas Ethics Commission.
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.
ANALYSIS
House Bill 1071 amends the Election Code by providing that each report of contributions and expenditures filed with an authority other than the Texas Ethics Commission (commission) must be in a format, rather than on a form, prescribed by the commission. The bill requires a report filed with the commission that is not required to be filed electronically to be filed on a form prescribed by the commission.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2005.