BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1381

By: Davis, Sarah

General Investigating & Ethics

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties contend that the Texas Ethics Commission's means of providing certain notices relating to an individual's required filings with the commission are too limited and that there are more economical and efficient ways to provide the notices. H.B. 1381 seeks to authorize the commission to adopt rules prescribing how it will provide certain notifications.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Ethics Commission in SECTION 1 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1381 amends the Government Code to authorize the Texas Ethics Commission to adopt rules prescribing how the commission will notify any person or provide any notice required by statutory provisions relating to ethics, relating to the registration of lobbyists, or relating to the regulation of political funds and campaigns. The bill expressly does not authorize the commission under this provision to adopt rules prescribing how the commission will notify any person or provide any notice required by statutory provisions relating to commission complaint procedures and hearings or civil enforcement actions by the commission or how the commission will issue a warning of liability under Election Code provisions relating to a civil penalty for certain late political reports.

H.B. 1381 replaces the requirement that the commission mail to each individual required to file a personal financial statement a notice containing specified information with a requirement that the commission notify each such individual of the requirement that the individual file a personal financial statement, of the applicable filing dates for the personal financial statement, and of the manner in which the individual may electronically file the financial statement and access instructions for filing financial statements on the commission's website.  

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.