The constitutional amendment created the Texas Ethics Commission. The amendment set out the method by which the eight members of the Commission are to be appointed, with four of the Commissioners appointed by the Governor, two appointed by the Lieutenant Governor, and two appointed by the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives. Members of the Texas Senate and the Texas House of Representatives who represent each political party submit lists of nominees to the appropriate state official for appointment. The constitutional provision established staggered four-year terms for Commissioners.
Commissioners annually elect a chair and vice-chair from their membership.
The Texas Constitution provides that the Ethics Commission may recommend the salary of members of the Legislature, the Lieutenant Governor, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, subject to approval by the voters at the subsequent general election for state and county officers. Also, the Commission must set the per diem of members of the Legislature and of the Lieutenant Governor. The Legislature is to determine the other powers and duties of the Commission. Laws Administered and Enforced by the Texas Ethics Commission Statutory duties of the Ethics Commission are in Chapter 571 of the Government Code. The Ethics Commission serves as a resource for the interpretation of the laws the Commission administers as well as certain provisions of the Penal Code.