| TO: | Honorable Jimmie Don Aycock, Chair, House Committee on Public Education |
| FROM: | Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB343 by Márquez (Relating to the filing of financial disclosure statements by trustees of an independent school district; providing a criminal penalty.), As Introduced |
The bill would require each member of a school board of trustees to file a financial statement. A trustee would commit an offense if the trustee failed to file the statement as required. The bill would repeal sections of the Education Code allowing financial statements to be required by a school board resolution or by the commissioner of education.
Based on the analysis of the Texas Education Agency, filing requirements could be burdensome for small independent school districts that have limited qualified candidates. The use of the term "independent school district" would exclude common and municipal school districts and other special school districts.
The charge modified by the bill is a Class B misdemeanor. A Class B misdemeanor is punishable by a fine of not more than $2,000, confinement in jail for a term not to exceed 180 days, or both. Costs associated with enforcement, prosecution and confinement could likely be absorbed within existing resources. Revenue from fines imposed and collected is not anticipated to have a significant fiscal impact.
| Source Agencies: | 701 Central Education Agency
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| LBB Staff: | UP, JBi, JSc, KKR
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