BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1808

By: Zaffirini

Elections

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Texas Ethics Commission has indicated that providing notice of filing deadlines through electronic mail could save the commission a few thousand dollars in mailing costs, freeing up funds that could be better utilized for other purposes.  As mail costs rise in the future, there will be a concomitant increase in the value of this legislative change in relation to the commission's budget.

S.B. 1808 authorizes the commission to provide notice of filing deadlines via electronic mail to individuals required to file campaign finance reports under Texas law.

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

S.B. 1808 amends the Election Code to authorize the Texas Ethics Commission, when notifying the person responsible for filing a report for a candidate, officeholder, specific-purpose committee, and general-purpose committee of the filing deadline, to send the notification by electronic mail.  The bill revises provisions that discharge the commission from a requirement to again try to notify the person after two unsuccessful attempts, unless the person supplies the commission with a current address or an electronic address.  The bill provides that the public information law does not apply to a filing deadline notification sent by electronic mail.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the act does not receive the necessary vote, the act takes effect September 1, 2009.