BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center H.B. 842
80R2529 ESH-D By: Raymond et al. (Zaffirini)
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Current law requires full disclosure of contributions and expenditures by an elected official or state officer. Judicial officers face a variety of criminals on a daily basis and, because of this, their safety has become a grave concern. As violence continues to plague our communities, judicial officers are subject to vicious threats that affect their way of living. In order for judicial officers to perform a fair and impartial administration of the law, it is essential to preserve their security.
H.B. 842 requires the Texas Ethics Commission to remove the address of a judge or justice from a financial statement before permitting a member of the public to view the statement.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 572.032, Government Code, by adding Subsection (a-1), to require the Texas Ethics Commission to remove the home address of a judge or justice from a financial statement filed under this subchapter (Personal Financial Statement) before permitting a member of the public to view the statement or before providing a copy of the statement to a member of the public.
SECTION 2. Provides that Section 572.032(a-1), Government Code, as added by this Act, applies to a financial statement filed under Subchapter B (Personal Financial Statement), Chapter 572, Government Code, regardless of whether the statement was required to be filed before, on, or after the effective date of this Act.
SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2007.