BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

S.B. 1692

By: Lucio

County Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

In order to increase budget transparency in local government, the Local Government Code requires municipalities and certain counties to post their budget on their Internet website if they maintain an Internet website.

S.B. 1692  provides the same transparency requirement to counties that are currently not covered by current law providing for an additional transparency mechanism at the state level.

Currently, municipalities and Subchapters A (Budget Preparation in Counties with Population of 225,000 or Less) and B (Budget Preparation in Counties with Population of More than 225,000) counties have the requirement of posting their budgets on the Internet if they maintain an Internet site.  S.B. 1692 extends this fiscal transparency standard to Subchapter C (Alternate Method of Budget Preparation in Counties with Population of More than 125,000) counties which are currently not covered by the Internet posting provision.  S.B. 1692 also requires the comptroller of public accounts to have on its Internet website links to all county and municipal budgets so that they are accessible through one website.

As proposed, S.B. 1692 amends current law relating to municipal and county budgets on the Internet.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

ANALYSIS

SECTION 1  Amends Section 111.069, Local Government Code, as follows:

Sec. 111.069.  New heading:  APPROVED BUDGET FILED WITH OFFICERS; POSTING ON INTERNET.  Requires the commissioners court, on final approval of the budget by the court, to:

(1)  file a copy of the budget with the county auditor and the county clerk; and

(2)  if the county maintains an Internet website, take action to ensure that a copy of the budget is posted on the website.

SECTION 2.  Amends Subchapter B, Chapter 403, Government Code, by adding Section 403.0116, as follows:

Sec. 403.0116.  MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY BUDGETS ON INTERNET.  Requires the comptroller of public accounts to provide on its Internet website a link to the website of each municipality and county that provides budget information for the municipality or county, including budgets posted under Sections 102.008  (Approved Budget Filed with Municipal Clerk:  Posting on Internet), 111.009 (Approved Budget Filed with County Clerk:  Posting on Internet), 111.040 (Approved Budget Filed with Officers:  Posting on Internet), and 111.069 (Approved Budget Filed with Officers), Local Government Code.

SECTION 3.  Provides that Section 111.069, Local Government Code, as amended by this Act, applies only to a budget adopted on or after the effective date of this Act. Provides that a budget adopted before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect when the budget was adopted, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.

EFFECTIVE DATE

Effective date:  September 1, 2011.