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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. Sections 572.032(a) and (c), Government Code, |
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are amended to 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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(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 572.032(a-1), Government Code, as |
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amended by Chapters 34 (S.B. 1576) and 983 (H.B. 776), Acts of the |
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85th Legislature, Regular Session, 2017, is reenacted and amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a-1) The commission shall remove the home address, the |
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telephone number, and the names of the dependent children of an |
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individual from a financial statement filed by the individual under |
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this subchapter before: |
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(1) permitting a member of the public to view the |
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statement; |
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(2) providing a copy of the statement to a member of |
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the public; or |
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(3) making the statement available to the public on |
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the commission's Internet website[, if the commission makes
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statements filed under this subchapter available on its website]. |
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SECTION 3. 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 4. 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, 2019. |