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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the creation of a select interim committee to undertake |
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a comprehensive review of personal financial disclosures made to |
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the Texas Ethics Commission and certain other authorities. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. INTERIM STUDY REGARDING PERSONAL FINANCIAL |
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DISCLOSURES. (a) A select interim committee is created to study |
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and review the procedures and effects of the filing of personal |
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financial statements with the Texas Ethics Commission or other |
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authorities under Chapter 572, Government Code, or other similar |
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laws. |
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(b) The study must consider: |
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(1) the purposes of the current disclosure statutes |
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and whether the statutes accomplish those purposes; |
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(2) the effectiveness of the current disclosure |
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scheme; and |
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(3) what changes, if any, should be made to more |
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effectively accomplish the purposes of personal financial |
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disclosures. |
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(c) The committee is composed of: |
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(1) five members appointed by the lieutenant governor |
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as follows: |
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(A) two senators; |
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(B) one representative of an open government |
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advocacy organization; |
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(C) one representative of an organization |
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representing professional media; and |
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(D) one member of the public; |
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(2) five members appointed by the speaker of the house |
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of representatives as follows: |
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(A) two state representatives; |
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(B) one representative of an open government |
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advocacy organization; |
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(C) one representative of an organization |
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representing professional media; and |
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(D) one member of the public; and |
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(3) one member of the Texas Ethics Commission, |
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appointed by the presiding officer of the Texas Ethics Commission, |
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who shall serve as the presiding officer of the committee. |
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(d) The committee shall convene at the call of the presiding |
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officer. |
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(e) The committee has all other powers and duties provided |
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to a special or select committee by the rules of the senate and |
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house of representatives, by Subchapter B, Chapter 301, Government |
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Code, and by policies of the senate and house committees on |
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administration. |
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(f) Not later than January 15, 2017, the committee shall |
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report the committee's findings and recommendations to the |
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lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, |
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and the governor. The committee shall include in its |
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recommendations specific statutory and rule changes that appear |
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necessary from the results of the committee's study under |
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Subsection (a) of this section. |
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(g) Not later than the 60th day after the effective date of |
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this Act, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of |
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representatives, and the presiding officer of the Texas Ethics |
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Commission shall appoint the members of the committee created under |
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this section. |
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(h) The Texas Legislative Council and the Texas Ethics |
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Commission shall provide any necessary staff and resources to the |
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committee created under this section. |
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SECTION 2. ABOLITION OF COMMITTEE. The committee is |
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abolished and this Act expires January 20, 2017. |
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SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect |
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immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members |
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elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas |
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Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for |
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immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |