By: Huffman, Uresti S.B. No. 1773
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the creation of a select interim committee to review and
  make recommendations for substantive changes to ethics laws.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  INTERIM STUDY REGARDING ETHICS LAWS. (a)  A
  select interim committee is created to study and review the
  statutes and regulations related to ethics, including campaign
  finance laws, lobby laws, and personal financial disclosure laws.
         (b)  The study must consider:
               (1)  the purposes of the current laws and whether the
  laws 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 presiding officer of the Texas Ethics
  Commission on the effective date of this Act.
         (d)  The members of the committee shall elect a presiding
  officer from among its members.
         (e)  The committee shall convene at the call of the presiding
  officer.
         (f)  The committee has all other powers and duties provided
  to a special or select committee by the rules of the senate and the
  house of representatives, by Subchapter B, Chapter 301, Government
  Code, and by policies of the senate and house committees on
  administration.
         (g)  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.
         (h)  Not later than the 60th day after the effective date of
  this Act, the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of
  representatives shall appoint the members of the committee created
  under this section.
         (i)  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.  EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September
  1, 2013.