Texas House Bill HB854

Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

• Filed: 12/1/22
• Out of House Committee: 5/10/23

Caption

Relating to address information contained on reports of political contributions and expenditures made available on the Internet by the Texas Ethics Commission.

Impact

The introduction of this bill is anticipated to create a more secure environment for individuals, especially campaign contract workers, by mitigating potential harassment and safety concerns linked to the disclosure of residential addresses. Supporters of the bill argue that it aligns the protection of residential addresses of individuals receiving campaign expenditures with the privacy measures already in place for campaign donors. They believe this change is crucial to protect those working in political roles from any undue distress stemming from public access to personal information.

Summary

House Bill 854 aims to enhance the privacy and safety protections for individuals involved in political campaigns by redacting residential addresses from public reports of political contributions and expenditures. This bill specifically directs the Texas Ethics Commission (TEC) to ensure that residential addresses are not publicly disclosed when individuals receive compensation related to campaign expenditures. Instead, only the city, state, and zip code will be made available online, with full addresses remaining accessible only in physical records at the TEC's office. The law would apply to reports filed on or after January 1, 2024, with an implementation date of September 1, 2023.

Sentiment

The sentiment surrounding HB 854 appears to be largely supportive, particularly among those who advocate for better protections of individual privacy in political processes. Many committee members and witnesses expressed agreement on the necessity of the bill, recognizing the potential risks involved without such protections. However, any dissenting voices may focus on concerns regarding transparency in campaign finance, but such criticism was not prominently featured in the discussions available.

Contention

While the primary contention appears to be over privacy versus transparency, the legislative discourse has shown a uniformity of purpose among those supporting the bill, highlighting the significant need for safety precautions for campaign-related roles. The bill does not seem to face substantial opposition in the legislative process, making its advancement through the committee and toward passage increasingly likely.

Texas Constitutional Statutes Affected

Election Code

• Chapter 254. Political Reporting
  • Section: 036
  • Section: 0401
  • Section: 0401