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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the availability on the Internet of personal financial |
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statements filed by public officials. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 572.032, Government Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsection (a-2) to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) Financial statements filed under this subchapter are |
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public records. The commission shall maintain the statements in |
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separate alphabetical files and in a manner that is accessible to |
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the public during regular office hours and make the statements |
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available to the public on the commission's Internet website. |
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(a-2) The commission shall redact the home address of an |
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individual from a financial statement filed by the individual under |
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this subchapter before making the statement available to the public |
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on the commission's Internet website. This redaction is only for |
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the purpose of making the statement available on the website, and |
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the commission may not otherwise redact that information from the |
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statement. |
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(c) After the second anniversary of the date the individual |
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ceases to be a state officer, the commission may and on notification |
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from the former state officer shall: |
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(1) destroy each financial statement filed by the |
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state officer; and |
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(2) remove each financial statement filed by the state |
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officer from the commission's Internet website. |
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SECTION 2. Section 145.007, Local Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Subsection (d) to read as follows: |
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(d) If a municipality makes financial statements filed |
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under this chapter available to the public on the municipality's |
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Internet website, the clerk or secretary of the municipality shall |
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redact the home address of an individual filing a statement before |
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making the statement available on the website. This redaction is |
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only for the purpose of making the statement available on the |
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website, and the clerk or secretary of the municipality may not |
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otherwise redact that information from the statement. |
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SECTION 3. Section 159.007, Local Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Subsection (d) to read as follows: |
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(d) If a county makes financial statements filed under this |
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subchapter available to the public on the county's Internet |
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website, the county clerk shall redact the home address of an |
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individual filing a statement before making the statement available |
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on the website. This redaction is only for the purpose of making |
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the statement available on the website, and the county clerk may not |
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otherwise redact that information from the statement. |
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SECTION 4. Subchapter B, Chapter 159, Local Government |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 159.0342 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 159.0342. REDACTION OF INFORMATION FROM REPORTS |
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AVAILABLE TO PUBLIC ON INTERNET. If a county makes reports filed |
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under this subchapter available to the public on the county's |
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Internet website, the authority with whom the report is filed shall |
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redact the home address of an individual filing a report before |
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making the report available on the website. This redaction is only |
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for the purpose of making the report available on the website, and |
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the authority with whom the report is filed may not otherwise redact |
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that information from the report. |
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SECTION 5. Section 159.055, Local Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Subsection (e) to read as follows: |
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(e) If a county makes financial statements filed under this |
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subchapter available to the public on the county's Internet |
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website, the county clerk shall redact the home address of an |
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individual filing a statement before making the statement available |
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on the website. This redaction is only for the purpose of making |
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the statement available on the website, and the county clerk may not |
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otherwise redact that information from the statement. |
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SECTION 6. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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of this Act, the Texas Ethics Commission shall make the financial |
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statements filed under Subchapter B, Chapter 572, Government Code, |
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available on the commission's Internet website, as provided by the |
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changes in law made by this Act. |
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SECTION 7. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |