84R6884 EES-D
By: Howard H.B. No. 1354
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the creation of a select interim committee to undertake
a comprehensive review of personal financial disclosures made to
the Texas Ethics Commission and certain other authorities.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. INTERIM STUDY REGARDING PERSONAL FINANCIAL
DISCLOSURES. (a) A select interim committee is created to study
and review the procedures and effects of the filing of personal
financial statements with the Texas Ethics Commission or other
authorities under Chapter 572, Government Code, or other similar
laws.
(b) The study must consider:
(1) the purposes of the current disclosure statutes
and whether the statutes accomplish those purposes;
(2) the effectiveness of the current disclosure
scheme; and
(3) what changes, if any, should be made to more
effectively accomplish the purposes of personal financial
disclosures.
(c) The committee is composed of:
(1) five members appointed by the lieutenant governor
as follows:
(A) two senators;
(B) one representative of an open government
advocacy organization;
(C) one representative of an organization
representing professional media; and
(D) one member of the public;
(2) five members appointed by the speaker of the house
of representatives as follows:
(A) two state representatives;
(B) one representative of an open government
advocacy organization;
(C) one representative of an organization
representing professional media; and
(D) one member of the public; and
(3) one member of the Texas Ethics Commission,
appointed by the presiding officer of the Texas Ethics Commission,
who shall serve as the presiding officer of the committee.
(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 on
administration.
(f) Not later than January 15, 2017, 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 January 20, 2017.
SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. 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, 2015.