BILL ANALYSIS
By: Berman
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Currently if an individual or entity can claim statutory exemption for filing their campaign finance reports or that entity or individual chooses to turn in an electronic form of campaign finance reports by computer diskette, they must send these reports by mail. Even when sent prior to the prescribed deadline these reports might take days before they are accessible to the public. In order to promote fairness between entities and individuals filing campaign finance reports, the state should require that those who send their reports by mail to either hand deliver their files or have them sent overnight to the Texas Ethics Commission. C.S.H.B. 27 would require those who send their reports by mail to either hand deliver their files or have them sent overnight to 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
This bill amends the Election Code by requiring any report filed with the commission exempt by statute or to be turned in by computer diskette must be hand-delivered or sent by overnight delivery either by the U.S. mail or a contract carrier.
This bill states that any reports due on or after September 1, 2007 are subject to new law. Any reports due before September 1, 2007 are subject to previous law.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2007.
COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE
The differences between C.S.H.B. 27 and H.B. 27 lie within Section 1 of these bills. The substitute modifies the original by extending delivery requirements to reports filed on computer diskette.