BILL ANALYSIS
By: Howard, Charlie
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Currently, municipal candidates or officers, elected or appointed are required to file personal financial statements even if they are not paid for serving in the appointed or elected office.
These candidates or officers are not accountable to the taxpayers for income that is not provided to them for serving in the elected or appointed position. Therefore, they should not be required to file reports on their personal income that is not provided to them by the taxpayers.
Not filing these disclosure forms will save time and money for these candidates or office holders and the clerk or secretary of the municipality collecting and assessing the statements and will limit double work since lobbyists are already required to disclose information about who they are working with.
H.B. 878 will allow candidates for or office holders of municipal positions to be exempt from filing personal financial disclosure statements if they are not paid for serving in these positions.
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
H.B. 878 amends the Local Government Code by exempting candidates for municipal offices and office holders of municipalities, who do not receive compensation for their services, from the requirements of filing financial statements. In accordance to the change in the Local Government Code, this measure repeals Section 11.064 of the Education Code and Section 335.1085 of the Local Government Code.
The changes in law made by this bill apply only to filings of financial statements that cover the 2007 or a later calendar year.
EFFECTIVE DATE
Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2007.