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