BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 305

By: Paul

State Affairs

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There have been calls for greater public accountability for political subdivisions with the authority to impose a tax. C.S.H.B. 305 seeks to address this issue by requiring a political subdivision with such authority that maintains a publicly accessible website to make certain relevant information available on that website.

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

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 305 amends the Government Code to require a political subdivision with the authority to impose a tax that at any time on or after January 1, 2019, maintained a publicly accessible website to post on that website the following information:

· the political subdivision's contact information;

· each elected officer of the political subdivision;

· each candidate for an elected office of the political subdivision;

· the date and location of the next election for officers of the political subdivision;

· the requirements and deadline for filing for candidacy of each elected office of the political subdivision, which must be continuously posted for at least one year before the election day for the office; and

· for a meeting held on or after the bill's effective date, each meeting notice and meeting record required under state open meetings law.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 305 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute limits the applicability of the bill to political subdivisions with the authority to impose a tax that at any time on or after January 1, 2019, maintained a publicly accessible website. The substitute does not apply to state agencies.

The substitute includes the requirements and deadline for filing for candidacy of each elected office of the political subdivision among the information to be posted on the website.