Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB634 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R8441 MK-D
2	2	By: Taylor of Collin S.B. No. 634
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the establishment of a task force on unethical and
8	8	unlawful misconduct by public officials.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 411, Government Code, is
11	11	amended by adding Section 411.0208 to read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 411.0208. ANTICORRUPTION TASK FORCE. (a) A task force
13	13	is established under this section to examine the adequacy of state
14	14	laws, rules, and procedures governing unethical and unlawful
15	15	misconduct by public officials.
16	16	(b) The task force consists of three members, appointed as
17	17	follows:
18	18	(1) not later than February 1 of each odd-numbered
19	19	year, the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house
20	20	of representatives shall each nominate three individuals for each
21	21	vacancy on the task force to serve on the task force, subject to
22	22	confirmation by the senate;
23	23	(2) if the senate does not confirm the nomination of an
24	24	individual under Subdivision (1), the official who originally
25	25	nominated the individual may make an additional nomination, subject
26	26	to confirmation by the senate; and
27	27	(3) not later than April 1 of each odd-numbered year,
28	28	the supreme court shall select the number of individuals required
29	29	to fill the vacancies on the task force from the group of
30	30	individuals who have been confirmed by the senate and appoint those
31	31	individuals as members of the task force.
32	32	(c) Members of the task force shall serve staggered terms of
33	33	six years, with one member's term expiring February 1 of each
34	34	odd-numbered year.
35	35	(d) A vacancy on the task force must be filled not later than
36	36	the 60th day after the date the vacancy occurs, using the process
37	37	prescribed by Subsection (b), except that the nominations under
38	38	Subsection (b)(1) shall be confirmed by the senate committee with
39	39	jurisdiction over nominations.
40	40	(e) The task force shall meet at the times and places that
41	41	the members of the task force determine are appropriate. The task
42	42	force shall adopt rules necessary to fulfill the task force's
43	43	duties under this section.
44	44	(f) Task force members serve without compensation but are
45	45	entitled to reimbursement for reasonable and necessary expenses
46	46	incurred in the discharge of their duties.
47	47	(g) Chapter 2110 does not apply to the task force.
48	48	(h) The task force shall employ an executive director to
49	49	perform any administrative or personnel management duties of the
50	50	task force.
51	51	(i) The task force shall:
52	52	(1) examine the adequacy of existing criminal,
53	53	campaign finance, and election laws that govern misconduct by
54	54	public officials and determine whether the existing laws have been
55	55	effectively enforced;
56	56	(2) investigate the compliance of organizations and
57	57	other persons with existing lobbying laws; and
58	58	(3) review recent instances of reported misconduct by
59	59	public officials in order to guide the task force's recommendations
60	60	regarding statutory changes.
61	61	(j) If the task force discovers any evidence of a violation
62	62	of existing criminal, campaign finance, or election laws while
63	63	conducting its duties under Subsection (i), the task force shall
64	64	promptly disclose all relevant evidence to the appropriate law
65	65	enforcement agencies.
66	66	(k) The task force may investigate allegations of unethical
67	67	or unlawful misconduct by public officials and may subpoena and
68	68	examine witnesses and documents that directly relate to an
69	69	investigation conducted by the task force. The task force may hire
70	70	investigators as necessary to conduct its duties under this
71	71	section.
72	72	(l) Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year,
73	73	the task force shall deliver a report to the legislature, the
74	74	governor, and the attorney general that includes:
75	75	(1) a description of the activities of the task force;
76	76	(2) the findings and recommendations of the task
77	77	force, including any proposed policy recommendations; and
78	78	(3) any proposals for legislation or other matters the
79	79	task force considers appropriate.
80	80	SECTION 2. Notwithstanding Section 411.0208(b), Government
81	81	Code, as added by this Act, the initial members of the task force
82	82	shall be appointed as follows:
83	83	(1) not later than the 45th day after the effective
84	84	date of this Act, the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of
85	85	the house of representatives shall each nominate five individuals
86	86	to serve on the task force;
87	87	(2) the senate committee with jurisdiction over
88	88	nominations shall confirm the nominations to the task force not
89	89	later than the 30th day after the committee receives the
90	90	nominations from the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of
91	91	the house of representatives;
92	92	(3) the supreme court shall appoint the three initial
93	93	members of the task force from the group of individuals who have
94	94	been confirmed by the senate committee with jurisdiction over
95	95	nominations not later than the 30th day after the supreme court
96	96	receives the list of individuals who have been confirmed by the
97	97	senate committee; and
98	98	(4) the individuals appointed as members of the task
99	99	force shall hire an executive director not later than the 60th day
100	100	after the individuals were appointed.
101	101	SECTION 3. In appointing the initial members to the task
102	102	force established under Section 411.0208, Government Code, as added
103	103	by this Act, the supreme court shall appoint one person to a term
104	104	expiring February 1, 2017, one person to a term expiring February 1,
105	105	2019, and one person to a term expiring February 1, 2021.
106	106	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
107	107	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
108	108	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
109	109	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
110	110	Act takes effect September 1, 2015.