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

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

FULL TEXT:
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.