| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to a select committee to review and make recommendations |
|
|
for substantive changes to laws overseen by the Texas Ethics |
|
|
Commission. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. INTERIM STUDY REGARDING TEXAS ETHICS LAWS. |
|
|
(a) A select interim committee is created to study and |
|
|
review the laws and regulations related to Texas ethics laws, |
|
|
including campaign finance laws, lobby laws, and the personal |
|
|
financial disclosure laws. |
|
|
(b) The study must consider: |
|
|
(1) the purposes of the current laws and whether the |
|
|
statutes accomplish those purposes; |
|
|
(2) the effectiveness of the current laws; and |
|
|
(3) what changes, if any, should be made to more |
|
|
effectively accomplish the purposes of the laws. |
|
|
(c) The committee is composed of: |
|
|
(1) four members appointed by the lieutenant governor |
|
|
as follows: |
|
|
(A) three senators; and |
|
|
(B) one member of the public; |
|
|
(2) four members appointed by the speaker of the house |
|
|
of representatives as follows: |
|
|
(A) three state representatives; and |
|
|
(B) one member of the public; and |
|
|
(3) the chairman of the Texas Ethics Commission as of |
|
|
the effective date of this Act. |
|
|
(d) The committee shall convene at the call of the presiding |
|
|
officer. |
|
|
(e) The committee has all other powers and duties provided |
|
|
to a special or select committee by the rules of the senate and |
|
|
house of representatives, by Subchapter B, Chapter 301, Government |
|
|
Code, and by policies of the senate and house committees on |
|
|
administration. |
|
|
(f) Not later than December 20, 2014, the committee shall |
|
|
report the committee's findings and recommendations to the |
|
|
lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, |
|
|
and the governor. The committee shall include in its |
|
|
recommendations specific statutory and rule changes that appear |
|
|
necessary from the results of the committee's study under |
|
|
Subsection (a) of this section. |
|
|
(g) Not later than the 60th day after the effective date of |
|
|
this Act, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of |
|
|
representatives, and the presiding officer of the Texas Ethics |
|
|
Commission shall appoint the members of the committee created under |
|
|
this section. |
|
|
(h) The Texas Legislative Council and the Texas Ethics |
|
|
Commission shall provide any necessary staff and resources to the |
|
|
committee created under this section. |
|
|
SECTION 2. ABOLITION OF COMMITTEE. The committee is |
|
|
abolished and this Act expires December 21, 2014. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |