BILL ANALYSIS
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Senate Research Center |
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AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Currently, campaign finance reports for school board elections are available through an open records request. In larger cities, school board elections that were formerly small and intimate processes have become progressively more complex and expensive. H.B. 336 attempts to raise the reporting standards of school board races to the same standards as those of similar races by making changes relating to the filing and posting on the Internet of reports and political contributions and expenditures required in connection with the office of member of the board of trustees of certain school districts.
H.B. 336 amends current law relating to the filing and posting on the Internet of reports of political contributions and expenditures required in connection with the office of member of the board of trustees of certain school districts.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter B, Chapter 254, Election Code, by adding Section 254.04011, as follows:
Sec. 254.04011. AVAILABILITY OF REPORTS OF SCHOOL TRUSTEES ON INTERNET. (a) Provides that this section applies only to a school district located wholly or partly in a municipality with a population of more than 500,000.
(b) Requires that a report filed under this chapter by a member of the board of trustees of a school district (board), a candidate for membership of the board, or a specific-purpose committee for supporting, opposing, or assisting a candidate or member of a board be posted on the Internet website of the school district.
(c) Requires that a report to which Subsection (b) applies be available to the public on the Internet website not later than the fifth business day after the date the report is filed with the school district.
(d) Provides that the access allowed by this section to reports is in addition to the public's access to the information through other electronic or print distribution of the information.
(e) Authorizes the school district, before making a report available on the Internet under this section, to remove each portion, other than city, state, and zip code, of the address of a person listed as having made a political contribution to the person filing the report. Requires that the information, if the address information is removed as permitted by this subsection, remain available on the report maintained in the school district's office.
SECTION 2. Provides that the change in law made by this Act by adding Section 254.04011, Election Code, applies only to the posting of a report of political contributions and expenditures that is required to be filed on or after January 1, 2012.
SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2011.