81R2524 ESH-D
By: Ellis S.B. No. 695
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to public access to personal financial statements filed by
candidates for and holders of state office and state chairs of
political parties.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 572.032, Government Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (a), (a-1), and (c) and adding Subsection
(a-2) to read as follows:
(a) Financial statements filed under this subchapter are
public records. The commission shall:
(1) maintain the statements in separate alphabetical
files and in a manner that is accessible to the public during
regular office hours; and
(2) not later than the 10th business day after the date
a statement is filed, post the statement on the commission's
Internet website.
(a-1) The commission shall remove the home address of a
judge or justice from a financial statement filed under this
subchapter before:
(1) permitting a member of the public to view the
statement; [or]
(2) providing a copy of the statement to a member of
the public; or
(3) posting the statement on the commission's Internet
website.
(a-2) In posting financial statements on the commission's
Internet website, the commission shall to the extent practicable
arrange the statements in a manner that:
(1) groups together the statements filed by
individuals holding or seeking the same type of office; and
(2) groups together all statements filed by an
individual that appear on the website.
(c) After the second anniversary of the date the individual
ceases to be a state officer, the commission may and on notification
from the former state officer shall:
(1) destroy each financial statement filed by the
state officer; and
(2) remove each financial statement filed by the state
officer from the commission's Internet website.
SECTION 2. Section 572.032(b), Government Code, is
repealed.
SECTION 3. Section 572.032, Government Code, as amended by
this Act, applies only to a financial statement filed under
Subchapter B, Chapter 572, Government Code, that is due on or after
September 1, 2009.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.