Bill Text: TX HB159 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the reimbursement of state funds used on out-of-state travel by elected officers.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-11 - Left pending in committee [HB159 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HB159-Introduced.html
84R243 CAE-D | ||
By: Larson | H.B. No. 159 |
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relating to the reimbursement of state funds used on out-of-state | ||
travel by elected officers. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 5, Government Code, is amended | ||
by adding Chapter 576 to read as follows: | ||
CHAPTER 576. REIMBURSEMENT FOR STATE-FUNDED TRAVEL AND SECURITY | ||
Sec. 576.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: | ||
(1) "Commission" means the Texas Ethics Commission. | ||
(2) "Elected officer" means a member of the | ||
legislature or the holder of an office of state government that is | ||
voted on statewide, including a person appointed to fill a vacancy | ||
in such an office. | ||
Sec. 576.002. DISCLOSURE OF STATE-FUNDED TRAVEL OUTSIDE | ||
THIS STATE. (a) An elected officer who uses any state funds for | ||
transportation or security for travel outside this state shall file | ||
a disclosure with the commission. A disclosure filed under this | ||
chapter must be filed electronically. | ||
(b) The disclosure must include: | ||
(1) the dates on which the travel occurred; | ||
(2) the locations where the travel occurred; | ||
(3) the cost of the travel; | ||
(4) the purpose of the travel; and | ||
(5) the use to which the state-funded transportation | ||
or security personnel was put. | ||
Sec. 576.003. FILING DEADLINE. An elected officer shall | ||
file a disclosure under this chapter not later than July 15 for | ||
travel ending on or after January 1 and on or before June 30. An | ||
elected officer shall file the disclosure not later than January 15 | ||
for travel ending on or after July 1 and on or before December 31 of | ||
the previous year. | ||
Sec. 576.004. COMMISSION REVIEW; REIMBURSEMENT. (a) The | ||
commission shall review the disclosure not later than the 90th day | ||
after the date the disclosure is filed. | ||
(b) Not later than the 10th day after the date a review is | ||
completed under Subsection (a), the commission shall send written | ||
notice to the elected officer stating whether the commission | ||
determined that the state-funded transportation or security was | ||
used for official state business. | ||
(c) An elected officer receiving notice under Subsection | ||
(b) that the transportation or security was not used for official | ||
state business shall reimburse the state for the cost of the travel | ||
plus interest calculated at a rate equal to inflation. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 571.061(a), Government Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
(a) The commission shall administer and enforce: | ||
(1) Chapters 302, 303, 305, 572, 576, and 2004; | ||
(2) Subchapter C, Chapter 159, Local Government Code, | ||
in connection with a county judicial officer, as defined by Section | ||
159.051, Local Government Code, who elects to file a financial | ||
statement with the commission; | ||
(3) Title 15, Election Code; and | ||
(4) Sections 2152.064 and 2155.003. | ||
SECTION 3. Section 571.091(a), Government Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
(a) The commission shall prepare a written opinion | ||
answering the request of a person subject to any of the following | ||
laws for an opinion about the application of any of these laws to | ||
the person in regard to a specified existing or hypothetical | ||
factual situation: | ||
(1) Chapter 302; | ||
(2) Chapter 303; | ||
(3) Chapter 305; | ||
(4) Chapter 2004; | ||
(5) Chapter 572; | ||
(6) Subchapter C, Chapter 159, Local Government Code, | ||
as provided by Section 571.061(a)(2); | ||
(7) Title 15, Election Code; | ||
(8) Chapter 36, Penal Code; | ||
(9) Chapter 39, Penal Code; | ||
(10) Section 2152.064; [ |
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(11) Section 2155.003; or | ||
(12) Chapter 576. | ||
SECTION 4. The change in law made by this Act applies only | ||
to travel beginning on or after September 1, 2015. Travel beginning | ||
before September 1, 2015, is governed by the law in effect on the | ||
date the travel began, and that law is continued in effect for that | ||
purpose. | ||
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |