H.B. No. 1945




AN ACT
relating to the filing of personal financial statements by the state chair of a political party. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 572.002(6), Government Code, is amended to read as follows: (6) "State party chair [Party chairman]" means the state chair [chairman] of any political party receiving more than two percent of the vote for governor in the most recent general election. SECTION 2. Section 572.021, Government Code, is amended to read as follows: Sec. 572.021. FINANCIAL STATEMENT REQUIRED. A state officer, a partisan or independent candidate for an office as an elected officer, and a state party chair [chairman] shall file with the commission a verified financial statement complying with Sections 572.022 through 572.0252. SECTION 3. The heading to Section 572.026, Government Code, is amended to read as follows: Sec. 572.026. FILING DATES FOR STATE OFFICERS AND STATE PARTY CHAIRS [CHAIRMEN]. SECTION 4. Section 572.026(a), Government Code, is amended to read as follows: (a) Not later than April 30 each year, a state officer or a state party chair [chairman] shall file the financial statement as required by this subchapter. SECTION 5. Section 572.034(a), Government Code, is amended to read as follows: (a) An individual commits an offense if the individual is a state officer or[,] candidate[,] or state party chair [chairman] and knowingly and wilfully fails to file a financial statement as required by this subchapter. SECTION 6. The amendment by this Act to Chapter 572, Government Code, is intended to clarify rather than change existing law and to conform to the gender-neutral terminology of the Election Code as amended by Chapter 864, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997. SECTION 7. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2005. ______________________________ ______________________________ President of the Senate Speaker of the House I certify that H.B. No. 1945 was passed by the House on May 9, 2005, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 0, 3 present, not voting. ______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House I certify that H.B. No. 1945 was passed by the Senate on May 25, 2005, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. ______________________________ Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: _____________________ Date _____________________ Governor