BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 62
87R1155 BRG-F	By: Zaffirini
	State Affairs
	4/14/2021
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Elected officials and candidates for public office in Texas must comply with statutory requirements enforced by the Texas Ethics Commission (TEC). Without proper training, however, it can be difficult to adhere to these requirements. This not only makes it challenging for persons to run for office if they cannot afford to hire campaign staff, but also can make it hard to differentiate between honest mistakes and intentional malfeasance. Current law authorizes TEC to provide educational seminars to registered lobbyists, but not to candidates for public office or elected officials.

S.B. 62 would allow TEC to provide seminars that address any law it administers and enforces. Attendees would be required to pay a fee that would cover the costs associated with the seminar. This would ensure that all persons who are subject to TEC regulation are provided an opportunity to receive the training necessary to comply with the law.

As proposed, S.B. 62 amends current law relating to permitting the Texas Ethics Commission to provide seminars and charge an attendance fee for those seminars.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

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

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 571.071, Government Code, by amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (d), as follows:

(c) Authorizes the fee charged by the Texas Ethics Commission (TEC) for a certain seminar for persons required to register under Chapter 305 (Registration of Lobbyists) to include the cost of providing food or nonalcoholic beverages to attendees.

(d) Authorizes TEC to provide a seminar that addresses the laws administered and enforced by TEC and any other relevant laws, as determined by TEC. Authorizes TEC to charge a fee for attending the seminar in an amount necessary to cover the costs associated with the seminar, including the cost of providing food or nonalcoholic beverages to attendees.

SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2021.