HBA-RBT H.B. 1959 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1959
By: Danburg
Elections
3/12/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, state ethics laws require candidates and officeholders to file
campaign finance disclosure reports on paper or computer disk with the
Texas Ethics Commission.  The process of obtaining a copy of this report
can be time consuming and costly.  H.B. 1959 requires a candidate to
deliver a copy of the candidate's report to each opponent at the same time
that the candidate is required to file the report with the Texas Ethics
Commission. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Subchapter C, Chapter 254, Election Code, by adding
Section 254.0612, as follows: 

Sec.  254.0612.  COPY OF REPORT TO BE DELIVERED TO OPPONENTS.  Requires a
candidate who is required to file reports with the Texas Ethics Commission
under this subchapter to deliver a copy of the report to each opponent of
the candidate whose name is to appear on the ballot. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 3.  Makes application of this Act prospective.

SECTION 4.  Emergency clause.