By: Huffman S.B. No. 1773
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to a select committee to review and make recommendations
for substantive changes to laws overseen by the Texas Ethics
Commission.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. INTERIM STUDY REGARDING TEXAS ETHICS LAWS.
(a) A select interim committee is created to study and
review the laws and regulations related to Texas ethics laws,
including campaign finance laws, lobby laws, and the personal
financial disclosure laws.
(b) The study must consider:
(1) the purposes of the current laws and whether the
statutes accomplish those purposes;
(2) the effectiveness of the current laws; and
(3) what changes, if any, should be made to more
effectively accomplish the purposes of the laws.
(c) The committee is composed of:
(1) four members appointed by the lieutenant governor
as follows:
(A) three senators; and
(B) one member of the public;
(2) four members appointed by the speaker of the house
of representatives as follows:
(A) three state representatives; and
(B) one member of the public; and
(3) the chairman of the Texas Ethics Commission as of
the effective date of this Act.
(d) The committee shall convene at the call of the presiding
officer.
(e) The committee has all other powers and duties provided
to a special or select committee by the rules of the senate and
house of representatives, by Subchapter B, Chapter 301, Government
Code, and by policies of the senate and house committees ohm
administration.
(f) Not later than December 20, 2014, the committee shall
report the committee's findings and recommendations to the
lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives,
and the governor. The committee shall include in its
recommendations specific statutory and rule changes that appear
necessary from the results of the committee's study under
Subsection (a) of this section.
(g) Not later than the 60th day after the effective date of
this Act, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of
representatives, and the presiding officer of the Texas Ethics
Commission shall appoint the members of the committee created under
this section.
(h) The Texas Legislative Council and the Texas Ethics
Commission shall provide any necessary staff and resources to the
committee created under this section.
SECTION 2. ABOLITION OF COMMITTEE. The committee is
abolished and this Act expires December 21, 2014.
SECTION 3. This Act is effective September 1, 2013.