84R6884 EES-D

By: Howard H.B. No. 1354

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the creation of a select interim committee to undertake a comprehensive review of personal financial disclosures made to the Texas Ethics Commission and certain other authorities.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. INTERIM STUDY REGARDING PERSONAL FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES. (a) A select interim committee is created to study and review the procedures and effects of the filing of personal financial statements with the Texas Ethics Commission or other authorities under Chapter 572, Government Code, or other similar laws.

(b) The study must consider:

(1) the purposes of the current disclosure statutes and whether the statutes accomplish those purposes;

(2) the effectiveness of the current disclosure scheme; and

(3) what changes, if any, should be made to more effectively accomplish the purposes of personal financial disclosures.

(c) The committee is composed of:

(1) five members appointed by the lieutenant governor as follows:

(A) two senators;

(B) one representative of an open government advocacy organization;

(C) one representative of an organization representing professional media; and

(D) one member of the public;

(2) five members appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives as follows:

(A) two state representatives;

(B) one representative of an open government advocacy organization;

(C) one representative of an organization representing professional media; and

(D) one member of the public; and

(3) one member of the Texas Ethics Commission, appointed by the presiding officer of the Texas Ethics Commission, who shall serve as the presiding officer of the committee.

(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 January 15, 2017, 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 January 20, 2017.

SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2015.