BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 2233

By: Menéndez

State Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Concerns have been raised regarding reported incidents of sexual assault, harassment, and predatory behavior in and around the Texas Capitol. Although the legislature has addressed these deeply rooted systemic issues in the past, a legislative staffer working in the Capitol recently reported being a victim of the "date rape drug" at the hands of a lobbyist, resulting in a full investigation by the Texas Department of Public Safety. Additionally, a lobbying group shared it had hired outside legal counsel to launch its own internal investigation into the incident. Statements released by elected officials in the wake of this report make it clear that there is no room for sexual assault, harassment, and predatory behavior in the Texas Capitol. S.B. 2233 seeks to address this issue by requiring each individual required to register under provisions relating to lobbyist registration to attend, and submit a certification of completion for, a sexual harassment prevention training course and an ethics training course every two years that is approved by the Texas Ethics Commission.

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 rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Ethics Commission in SECTION 2 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 2233 amends the Government Code to require each individual required to register under statutory provisions relating to lobbyist registration to attend a sexual harassment prevention training course every two years and an ethics training course every two years, as approved by the Texas Ethics Commission (TEC), and to submit an applicable certificate of completion of the course to the TEC. The bill requires the certificate of completion to be in a form approved by the TEC. The bill requires the TEC, not later than December 1, 2021, to adopt rules as necessary to implement these provisions of the bill.

S.B. 2233 requires the written registration filed by each person required to register under statutory provisions relating to lobbyist registration to contain a certificate evidencing completion of a sexual harassment prevention training course and ethics training course in the previous two years. This requirement applies only to a registration required to be filed on or after January 1, 2022.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2021.