BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 776
85R5222 EES-F	By: Ashby (Buckingham)
	Administration
	5/16/2017
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Concerns have been raised about the availability of home address information for individuals who file personal financial statements with the Texas Ethics Commission and interested parties contend this personally identifying information should be redacted from the statements before such statements are made available to the public. H.B. 776 seeks to address these concerns by expanding the class of individuals who are entitled to have their home addresses so redacted to include all filers of such statements.

H.B. 776 amends current law relating to the removal of home addresses from personal financial statements filed by certain persons.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 572.032(a-1), Government Code, as follows:

(a-1) Requires the Texas Ethics Commission (TEC) to remove the home address of an individual, rather than of a judge or justice, from a financial statement filed by the individual under this subchapter (Personal Financial Statement) before making the statement available to the public on TEC's Internet website, if TEC makes statements filed under this subchapter available on its website.

SECTION 2. Provides that Section 572.032(a-1), Government Code, as amended by this Act, applies to a financial statement filed under Subchapter B, Chapter 572 (Personal Financial Disclosure, Standards of Conduct, and Conflict of Interest), Government Code, regardless of whether the statement was required to be filed before, on, or after the effective date of this Act.�

SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2017.