Bill Text: TX HCR76 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Introduced

Texas House Concurrent Resolution 76 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Requesting the establishment of a select interim committee to undertake a comprehensive review of financial disclosures made by public officials.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-03-21 - Referred to Elections [HCR76 Detail]

Download: Texas-2013-HCR76-Introduced.html

	83R12943 CBE-D

	By: Howard	H.C.R. No. 76



	CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
	WHEREAS, To sustain and strengthen faith and confidence in
	state government, Texas has established standards of conduct that
	require state officers and employees to remain free from direct or
	indirect interests that conflict with the proper discharge of their
	duties; and
	WHEREAS, It has been two decades since the last comprehensive
	review of these disclosure requirements, and given the pace of
	economic and technological change in that time period, there is the
	potential that gaps in reporting requirements exist; and
	WHEREAS, An interim committee composed of representatives of
	the public as well as elected officials would provide an
	appropriate forum to address concerns and make recommendations to
	ensure that the goal of meaningful disclosure is achieved, that
	state government continues to operate with transparency, and that
	the public has ready access to disclosure filings; now, therefore,
	be it
	RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas
	hereby request the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house
	of representatives to create a select interim committee to
	undertake a comprehensive review of financial disclosures made by
	public officials; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That the committee 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 law; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That the review include consideration of: (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; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That the committee be composed of 14 members as
	follows: four members appointed by the governor, including one
	executive director of a state agency, one board member of a state
	agency, and two representatives of local jurisdictions subject to
	disclosure regulations established under state law; five members
	appointed by the lieutenant governor, including two senators, one
	of whom shall serve as a co-chair, one representative of an open
	government advocacy organization, one representative of an
	organization representing professional media, and one member of the
	public; and five members appointed by the speaker of the house of
	representatives, including two state representatives, one of whom
	will serve as a co-chair, one representative of an open government
	advocacy organization, one representative of an organization
	representing professional media, and one member of the public; and,
	be it further
	RESOLVED, That the committee shall convene at the call of the
	presiding officers and shall have 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; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That the committee submit a full report, including
	findings and recommendations, to the lieutenant governor, the
	speaker of the house of representatives, and the governor not later
	than January 15, 2015.