AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

County planning commissions are local, voluntary bodies that serve under a county commissioners court to make recommendations and provide regulatory enforcement for community and economic development. Currently, statute mandates that a person who volunteers as a member of a county planning commission file a financial disclosure report. This requirement is a deterrent for many people because potential designees feel this is an invasion of their privacy that should not be necessary for an uncompensated volunteer. This requirement prevents qualified individuals, including bankers and some engineers, from consideration because they have signed non-disclosure agreements with their employers.

 

Although several communities have a need for such a commission and have made efforts to create one, these barriers have prevented many counties from establishing a planning commission. H.B. 2112 allows the county commissioners court to determine whether a financial disclosure statement is necessary for planning commission volunteers.

 

H.B. 2112 amends current law relating to financial disclosure reports made by a member of a county planning commission.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

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

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 232.094, Local Government Code, as follows:

 

Sec. 232.094.  FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE.  (a)  Authorizes the commissioners court of a county to require each member of the planning commission, rather than requiring a member of the planning commission, to file a financial disclosure report in the same manner as required for county officers under Subchapter B (Financial Disclosure by Other County Officers and Employees), Chapter 159 (Financial Disclosure by County Officers and Employees).

 

(b)  Requires the planning commission member, if the commissioners court requires a financial disclosure report but has not adopted a financial disclosure reporting system under Subchapter B, Chapter 159, rather than if the commissioners court of the county in which the planning commission member serves has not adopted a financial disclosure reporting system under Subchapter B, Chapter 159, to file a financial disclosure report in the same manner as required for county officers under Subchapter A (Financial Disclosure by Certain County Officers), Chapter 159.

 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 2013.