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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, To sustain and strengthen faith and confidence in |
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state government, Texas has established standards of conduct that |
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require state officers and employees to remain free from direct or |
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indirect interests that conflict with the proper discharge of their |
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duties; and |
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WHEREAS, It has been two decades since the last comprehensive |
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review of these disclosure requirements, and given the pace of |
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economic and technological change in that time period, there is the |
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potential that gaps in reporting requirements exist; and |
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WHEREAS, An interim committee composed of representatives of |
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the public as well as elected officials would provide an |
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appropriate forum to address concerns and make recommendations to |
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ensure that the goal of meaningful disclosure is achieved, that |
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state government continues to operate with transparency, and that |
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the public has ready access to disclosure filings; now, therefore, |
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be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby request the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house |
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of representatives to create a select interim committee to |
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undertake a comprehensive review of financial disclosures made by |
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public officials; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the committee study and review the procedures |
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and effects of the filing of personal financial statements with the |
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Texas Ethics Commission or other authorities under Chapter 572, |
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Government Code, or other similar law; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the review include consideration of: (1) the |
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purposes of the current disclosure statutes and whether the |
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statutes accomplish those purposes, (2) the effectiveness of the |
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current disclosure scheme, and (3) what changes, if any, should be |
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made to more effectively accomplish the purposes of personal |
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financial disclosures; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the committee be composed of 14 members as |
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follows: four members appointed by the governor, including one |
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executive director of a state agency, one board member of a state |
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agency, and two representatives of local jurisdictions subject to |
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disclosure regulations established under state law; five members |
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appointed by the lieutenant governor, including two senators, one |
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of whom shall serve as a co-chair, one representative of an open |
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government advocacy organization, one representative of an |
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organization representing professional media, and one member of the |
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public; and five members appointed by the speaker of the house of |
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representatives, including two state representatives, one of whom |
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will serve as a co-chair, one representative of an open government |
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advocacy organization, one representative of an organization |
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representing professional media, and one member of the public; and, |
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be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the committee shall convene at the call of the |
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presiding officers and shall have all other powers and duties |
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provided to a special or select committee by the rules of the senate |
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and house of representatives, by Subchapter B, Chapter 301, |
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Government Code, and by policies of the senate and house committees |
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on administration; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the committee submit a full report, including |
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findings and recommendations, to the lieutenant governor, the |
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speaker of the house of representatives, and the governor not later |
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than January 15, 2015. |