By:  Van de Putte                                                 S.B. No. 1778


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to reporting of personal financial information by trustees 
of certain junior college districts and to candidates for office of 
certain political subdivisions; providing civil and criminal 
penalties.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subchapter E, Chapter 130, Education Code, is 
amended by adding Section 130.0831 to read as follows:
	Sec. 130.0831.  FILING OF FINANCIAL STATEMENT BY TRUSTEE.  
(a)  This section applies only to a junior college district that:
		(1)  has an enrollment of more than 33,000 students;                   
		(2)  has fewer than six campuses; and                                  
		(3)  has more than seven trustees.                                     
	(b)  This section does not apply to a junior college district 
which has 10 or more school districts in two counties in its taxing 
district.
	(c)  A member of the board of trustees of a junior college 
district shall file the financial statement required of state 
officers under Subchapter B, Chapter 572, Government Code, with:
		(1)  the board of trustees of the junior college 
district; and       
		(2)  the Texas Ethics Commission.                                      
	(d)  Subchapter B, Chapter 572, Government Code:                        
		(1)  applies to a trustee of a junior college district 
as if the trustee were a state officer; and
		(2)  governs the contents, timeliness of filing, and 
public inspection of a statement filed under this section.
	(e)  A trustee subject to this section commits an offense if 
the trustee fails to file the statement required by this section.  
An offense under this section is a Class B misdemeanor.
	SECTION 2.  Chapter 144, Election Code, is amended by adding 
Section 144.0021 to read as follows:
	Sec. 144.0021.  CANDIDACY FOR OTHER OFFICE.  If an elected 
officer subject to this chapter becomes a candidate, by announcing 
an intention to be a candidate or by filing an application for a 
place on the ballot, for any elected office other than an office 
covered by this chapter, the announcement or candidacy constitutes 
an automatic resignation of the office held, and the vacancy 
created shall be filled as provided by applicable law.
	SECTION 3.  Section 253.004, Election Code, is amended by 
adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows:
	(a-1)  Funds collected or held by a political committee 
established in connection with a candidacy for an elected office 
covered by Chapter 144 may not be expended for any other purpose.  
This subsection does not apply to a charitable contribution.
	SECTION 4.  Section 130.0831, Education Code, as added by 
this Act, applies beginning January 1, 2007.  A trustee subject to 
Section 130.0831, Education Code, as added by this Act, is not 
required to include financial activity occurring before January 1, 
2006, in a financial disclosure statement required under Section 
130.0831, Education Code, as added by this Act.
	SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.