BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 62

By: Zaffirini

State Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Texas Ethics Commission (TEC) is currently authorized to provide educational seminars to registered lobbyists but not to elected officials or candidates for public office. It has been suggested that officials and candidates without proper training may experience difficulty adhering to requirements enforced by the TEC and that a lack of training can hinder differentiation between honest mistakes and intentional malfeasance. S.B. 62 seeks to address this issue by authorizing the TEC to provide seminars that address any law it administers and enforces.

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

S.B. 62 amends the Government Code to authorize the Texas Ethics Commission (TEC) to provide a seminar that addresses the laws administered and enforced by the TEC and any other relevant laws, as determined by the TEC, and to charge an attendance fee in an amount necessary to cover the costs associated with the seminar.

S.B. 62 specifies that the cost of providing food or nonalcoholic beverages to attendees of a seminar provided by the TEC for persons required to register as a lobbyist under applicable state law is included among the costs that the TEC may cover by charging a seminar attendance fee.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2021.