Texas 2013 83rd Regular

Texas House Bill HB2190 Introduced / Bill

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                    83R6337 ATP-D
 By: Turner of Tarrant H.B. No. 2190


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to the contents of and public access to personal financial
 statements filed by public officials and candidates.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Sections 572.022(a) and (d), Government Code,
 are amended to read as follows:
 (a)  If an amount in a financial statement is required to be
 reported by category, the individual filing the statement shall
 report whether the amount is:
 (1)  less than $200 [$5,000];
 (2)  at least $200 [$5,000] but less than $1,000
 [$10,000];
 (3)  at least $1,000 [$10,000] but less than $2,500
 [$25,000];
 (4)  at least $2,500 but less than $5,000;
 (5)  at least $5,000 but less than $15,000;
 (6)  at least $15,000 but less than $50,000;
 (7)  at least $50,000 but less than $100,000;
 (8)  at least $100,000 but less than $1,000,000;
 (9)  at least $1,000,000 but less than $5,000,000; or
 (10)  $5,000,000 [(4)  $25,000] or more.
 (d)  For a gift [of cash or a cash equivalent such as a
 negotiable instrument or gift certificate] that is reported in
 accordance with Section 572.023(b)(7), the individual filing the
 statement shall include in the description of the gift a statement
 of the value of the gift. If the reported gift is cash or a cash
 equivalent such as a negotiable instrument or gift certificate, the
 description must include the actual face value of the gift.
 SECTION 2.  Sections 572.023(a) and (b), Government Code,
 are amended to read as follows:
 (a)  A financial statement must include an account of the
 financial activity of the individual required by this subchapter to
 file a financial statement and an account of the financial activity
 of the individual's spouse and dependent children if the individual
 had actual control over that activity for:
 (1)  the preceding calendar year; or
 (2)  both the preceding calendar year and, listed
 separately, the year before the preceding calendar year, for
 information reported under Subsection (b)(1), (4), (8), or (15).
 (b)  The account of financial activity consists of:
 (1)  a list of all sources of occupational income,
 identified by employer, or if self-employed, by the nature of the
 occupation, including identification of a person or other
 organization from which the individual or a business in which the
 individual has a substantial interest received a fee as a retainer
 for a claim on future services in case of need, as distinguished
 from a fee for services on a matter specified at the time of
 contracting for or receiving the fee, if professional or
 occupational services are not actually performed during the
 reporting period equal to or in excess of the amount of the
 retainer, and the category of the amount of the fee;
 (2)  identification by name and the category of the
 dollar value of the [number of] shares of stock of any business
 entity held or acquired, and if sold, the category of the amount of
 net gain or loss realized from the sale;
 (3)  a list of all bonds, notes, and other commercial
 paper held or acquired, and if sold, the category of the amount of
 net gain or loss realized from the sale;
 (4)  identification of each source and the category of
 the amount of income in excess of $500 derived from each source from
 interest, dividends, royalties, and rents;
 (5)  identification of each guarantor of a loan and
 identification of each person or financial institution to whom a
 personal note or notes or lease agreement for a total financial
 liability in excess of $1,000 existed at any time during the year,
 the date the liability was incurred, and the category of the amount
 of the liability;
 (6)  identification by description of all beneficial
 interests in real property and business entities held or acquired,
 and if sold, the category of the amount of the net gain or loss
 realized from the sale;
 (7)  identification of a person or other organization
 from which the individual or the individual's spouse or dependent
 children received a gift of anything of value in excess of $250 and
 a description of each gift, except:
 (A)  a gift received from an individual related to
 the individual at any time within the second degree by
 consanguinity or affinity, as determined under Subchapter B,
 Chapter 573;
 (B)  a political contribution that was reported as
 required by Chapter 254, Election Code; and
 (C)  an expenditure required to be reported by a
 person required to be registered under Chapter 305;
 (8)  identification of the source and the category of
 the amount of all income received as beneficiary of a trust, other
 than a blind trust that complies with Subsection (c), and
 identification of each trust asset, if known to the beneficiary,
 from which income was received by the beneficiary in excess of $500;
 (9)  identification by description and the category of
 the amount of all assets and liabilities of a corporation, firm,
 partnership, limited partnership, limited liability partnership,
 professional corporation, professional association, joint venture,
 or other business association in which 50 percent or more of the
 outstanding ownership was held, acquired, or sold;
 (10)  a list of all boards of directors of which the
 individual is a member and executive positions that the individual
 holds in corporations, firms, partnerships, limited partnerships,
 limited liability partnerships, professional corporations,
 professional associations, joint ventures, or other business
 associations or proprietorships, stating the name of each
 corporation, firm, partnership, limited partnership, limited
 liability partnership, professional corporation, professional
 association, joint venture, or other business association or
 proprietorship and the position held;
 (11)  identification of any person providing
 transportation, meals, or lodging expenses permitted under Section
 36.07(b), Penal Code, and the amount of those expenses, other than
 expenditures required to be reported under Chapter 305;
 (12)  any corporation, firm, partnership, limited
 partnership, limited liability partnership, professional
 corporation, professional association, joint venture, or other
 business association, excluding a publicly held corporation, in
 which both the individual and a person registered under Chapter 305
 have an interest;
 (13)  identification by name and the category of the
 number of shares of any mutual fund held or acquired, and if sold,
 the category of the amount of net gain or loss realized from the
 sale; [and]
 (14)  identification of each blind trust that complies
 with Subsection (c), including:
 (A)  the category of the fair market value of the
 trust;
 (B)  the date the trust was created;
 (C)  the name and address of the trustee; and
 (D)  a statement signed by the trustee, under
 penalty of perjury, stating that:
 (i)  the trustee has not revealed any
 information to the individual, except information that may be
 disclosed under Subdivision (8); and
 (ii)  to the best of the trustee's knowledge,
 the trust complies with this section; and
 (15)  identification of any other source of earned or
 unearned income, including public benefits or a pension, individual
 retirement account, or other retirement plan, and the category of
 the amount of income derived from each source.
 SECTION 3.  Section 572.032, Government Code, is amended by
 amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (d) to read as
 follows:
 (a)  Financial statements filed under this subchapter are
 public records. The commission shall maintain the statements in
 separate alphabetical files and in a manner that is accessible to
 the public during regular office hours and make the statements
 available to the public on the commission's website not later than
 the 15th day after the date the statement is required to be filed or
 is actually filed, whichever is later.
 (d)  The commission is not required to continue to make
 available on its website a financial statement that may be
 destroyed under Subsection (c).  The commission may not make
 available on its website a financial statement that the commission
 shall destroy under Subsection (c).
 SECTION 4.  Sections 572.022(b) and 572.032(b), Government
 Code, are repealed.
 SECTION 5.  Sections 572.022 and 572.023, Government Code,
 as amended by this Act, apply only to a financial statement filed
 under Subchapter B, Chapter 572, Government Code, on or after
 January 1, 2015. A financial statement filed before January 1,
 2015, is governed by the law in effect on the date of filing, and the
 former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
 SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
 Act takes effect September 1, 2013.