By: Hall  S.B. No. 716
         (In the Senate - Filed February 24, 2015; March 2, 2015,
  read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;
  April 20, 2015, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 6,
  Nays 0; April 20, 2015, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the methods of delivery for required financial
  statement forms sent to certain municipal officeholders and
  candidates for municipal office.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 145.005(b), Local Government Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (b)  The clerk or secretary shall deliver at least one copy
  of the form by mail, personal delivery, or e-mail or any other means
  of electronic transfer [two copies of the form] to each municipal
  officer or person who is appointed to a municipal office who is
  required to file under this chapter within the time prescribed by
  Section 572.030(c)(1), Government Code.  The clerk or secretary
  shall deliver [mail] a copy of the form to each candidate for a
  municipal office filled by election who is required to file under
  this chapter not later than the 10th day before the deadline for
  filing the statement under Section 145.004(c).
         SECTION 2.  Section 145.009(c), Local Government Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (c)  It is a defense to prosecution under this section that
  the officer or candidate did not receive copies of the financial
  statement form required to be delivered [mailed] to the officer or
  candidate by this chapter.
         SECTION 3.  Section 145.005(b), Local Government Code, as
  amended by this Act, applies only to a financial statement due on or
  after the effective date of this Act.  A financial statement due
  before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in
  effect on the date the financial statement was due, and the former
  law is continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 4.  Section 145.009(c), Local Government Code, as
  amended by this Act, applies only to an offense committed on or
  after the effective date of this Act.  An offense committed before
  the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on
  the date the offense was committed, and the former law is continued
  in effect for that purpose.  For purposes of this section, an
  offense was committed before the effective date of this Act if any
  element of the offense occurred before that date.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
 
  * * * * *