BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1616

By: Geren

Elections

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Concerned parties assert that an officeholder, candidate, or political committee is not required to disclose in reports of political contributions or expenditures any reimbursements or certain other amounts they may have received during a reporting period and that the absence of reporting requirements for such amounts could result in double reimbursements. In addition, the concerned parties claim that registered lobbyists are not required to disclose the name of officeholders who use political funds to compensate or reimburse them, which may result in conflicts of interest between lawmakers and lobbyists.

C.S.H.B. 1616 seeks to address these issues by expanding officeholder, candidate, political committee, and lobbyist disclosure requirements.

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

C.S.H.B. 1616 amends the Election Code to expand the information that must be included in reports of political contributions or expenditures filed with the Texas Ethics Commission by an officeholder, candidate, or political committee to include any amount received during the reporting period that is any credit, interest, rebate, refund, reimbursement, or return of a deposit fee resulting from the use of a political contribution or an asset purchased with a political contribution; any proceeds of the sale of an asset or investment purchased with a political contribution; and any other gain received from a political contribution.  The bill includes in the reporting requirements the full name and address of each person from whom such an amount is received, the date the amount is received, and the purpose for which the amount is received.

C.S.H.B. 1616 amends the Government Code to require that the registration form for a lobbyist include the full name and address of each person who compensates or reimburses the registrant for any reason from a political contribution, interest received from a political contribution, or an asset purchased with a political contribution.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2011.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 1616 contains a provision not included in the original requiring a report of political contributions or expenditures filed with the Texas Ethics Commission by an officeholder, candidate, or political committee to include, for each reported contribution or other amount received, the full name and address of each person from whom the amount is received, the date the amount is received, and the purpose for which the amount is received.