By: Huffines	S.B. No. 1683

	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to the retention of unexpended political contributions by
	and certain activities and benefits of certain public servants,
	including current and former members of the legislature.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  Subchapter H, Chapter 254, Election Code, is
	amended by adding Section 254.2031 to read as follows:
	Sec. 254.2031.  RETENTION OF CONTRIBUTIONS BY LOBBYISTS. A
	person who is required to register under Chapter 305, Government
	Code, may not retain political contributions covered by this title,
	assets purchased with the contributions, or interest and other
	income earned on the contributions for more than 30 days after the
	date the person files a registration with the commission under
	Section 305.005, Government Code.
	SECTION 2.  Section 254.204(a), Election Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	(a)  At the end of the six-year period prescribed by Section
	254.203 or the 30-day period prescribed by Section 254.2031, the
	former officeholder or candidate shall remit any unexpended
	political contributions to one or more of the following:
	(1)  the political party with which the person was
	affiliated when the person's name last appeared on a ballot;
	(2)  a candidate or political committee;
	(3)  the comptroller for deposit in the state treasury;
	(4)  one or more persons from whom political
	contributions were received, in accordance with Subsection (d);
	(5)  a recognized charitable organization formed for
	educational, religious, or scientific purposes that is exempt from
	taxation under Section 501(c)(3), Internal Revenue Code of 1986,
	and its subsequent amendments; or
	(6)  a public or private postsecondary educational
	institution or an institution of higher education as defined by
	Section 61.003(8), Education Code, solely for the purpose of
	assisting or creating a scholarship program.
	SECTION 3.  Section 254.205(a), Election Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	(a)  Not later than the 30th day after the date the six-year
	period prescribed by Section 254.203 ends or the 30-day period
	prescribed by Section 254.2031 ends, the person required to dispose
	of unexpended political contributions shall file a report of the
	disposition.
	SECTION 4.  Section 572.021, Government Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 572.021.  FINANCIAL STATEMENT REQUIRED. Except as
	provided by Section 572.0211, a state officer, a partisan or
	independent candidate for an office as an elected officer, and a
	state party chair shall file with the commission a verified
	financial statement complying with Sections 572.022 through
	572.0254 [572.0252].
	SECTION 5.  Subchapter B, Chapter 572, Government Code, is
	amended by adding Section 572.0254 to read as follows:
	Sec. 572.0254.  INFORMATION ABOUT BENEFICIAL LAWS. (a)  A
	member of the legislature or a person who holds a statewide elected
	office shall report on the financial statement each law that was
	enacted by the legislature during the preceding calendar year that
	directly benefited a specific transaction of a business entity in
	which the member or officeholder, the member's or officeholder's
	spouse, or a person related to the member or officeholder within the
	first degree by consanguinity has a controlling interest.
	(b)  In this section, "controlling interest" has the meaning
	assigned by Section 572.053(b).
	SECTION 6.  Subchapter C, Chapter 572, Government Code, is
	amended by adding Sections 572.064, 572.065, 572.066, 572.067, and
	572.068 to read as follows:
	Sec. 572.064.  CURRENT AND FORMER LEGISLATORS AND STATEWIDE
	ELECTED OFFICEHOLDERS:  CERTAIN EMPLOYMENT AND CONTRACTING
	PROHIBITED.  (a)  A member of the legislature, a person who holds a
	statewide elected office, or a business entity in which a member of
	the legislature or a person who holds a statewide elected office has
	a controlling interest may not employ or contract with another
	person who is a member of the legislature or who holds a statewide
	elected office or another business entity in which a member of the
	legislature or a person who holds a statewide elected office has a
	controlling interest.
	(b)  A former member of the legislature, a person who
	formerly held a statewide elected office, or a business entity in
	which a former member of the legislature or a person who formerly
	held a statewide elected office has a controlling interest may not,
	before the second anniversary of the date the last term for which
	the former member or officeholder was elected or appointed ends,
	employ or contract with a member of the legislature, a person who
	holds a statewide elected office, or a business entity in which a
	member of the legislature or a person who holds a statewide elected
	office has a controlling interest.
	(c)  In this section, "controlling interest" has the meaning
	assigned by Section 572.053(b).
	Sec. 572.065.  CURRENT AND FORMER LEGISLATORS AND STATEWIDE
	ELECTED OFFICEHOLDERS:  CERTAIN REPRESENTATION PROHIBITED.
	(a)  Except as provided by Subsection (c), a member of the
	legislature or a person who holds a statewide elected office may not
	represent for a fee or compensation or the promise of a fee or
	compensation a department, commission, board, office, or other
	agency in the legislative, executive, or judicial branch of state
	government, a university system or an institution of higher
	education as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code, a county, a
	municipality, a public school district, any other political
	subdivision of this state, or the federal government.
	(b)  A former member of the legislature or a person who
	formerly held a statewide elected office may not, before the second
	anniversary of the date the last term for which the former member or
	officeholder was elected or appointed ends, represent for a fee or
	compensation or the promise of a fee or compensation a department,
	commission, board, office, or other agency in the legislative,
	executive, or judicial branch of state government, a university
	system or an institution of higher education as defined by Section
	61.003, Education Code, a county, a municipality, a public school
	district, any other political subdivision of this state, or the
	federal government.
	(c)  The prohibition in Subsection (a) does not apply to any
	representation by a member of the legislature or person who holds a
	statewide elected office who is acting in the member's or
	officeholder's official capacity.
	Sec. 572.066.  FORMER LEGISLATOR OR FORMER STATEWIDE ELECTED
	OFFICEHOLDER:  LOBBYING PROHIBITED.  A former member of the
	legislature or a person who formerly held a statewide elected
	office may not, before the second anniversary of the first day of
	the month following the date the last term for which the former
	member or officeholder was elected or appointed ends, engage in
	activities that require registration under Chapter 305.
	Sec. 572.067.  FORMER LEGISLATOR OR FORMER STATEWIDE ELECTED
	OFFICEHOLDER:  CERTAIN EMPLOYMENT PROHIBITED.  A former member of
	the legislature or a person who formerly held a statewide elected
	office may not, before the second anniversary of the date the last
	term for which the former member or officeholder was elected or
	appointed ends, be employed by a department, commission, board,
	office, or other agency in the legislative, executive, or judicial
	branch of state government, a university system or an institution
	of higher education as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code, a
	county, a municipality, a public school district, any other
	political subdivision of this state, or the federal government.
	SECTION 7.  Section 814.103, Government Code, is amended by
	amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (c) to read as
	follows:
	(a)  Except as provided by Subsections [Subsection] (b) and
	(c), the standard service retirement annuity for service credited
	in the elected class of membership is an amount equal to the number
	of years of service credit in that class, times two percent of the
	state salary, excluding longevity pay payable under Section
	659.0445 and as adjusted from time to time, being paid a district
	judge.
	(c)  The standard service retirement annuity for a person who
	is first eligible to become a member of the elected class on or
	after September 1, 2015, is an amount equal to the number of years
	of service credit in that class, not to exceed 12 years of service
	credit, times two percent of $125,000.
	SECTION 8.  Section 254.2031, Election Code, as added by
	this Act, applies only to a lobbyist who files a registration or
	renewal with the Texas Ethics Commission under Section 305.005,
	Government Code, on or after December 1, 2015.
	SECTION 9.  Sections 571.021 and 572.023, Government Code,
	as amended by this Act, and Section 572.0254, Government Code, as
	added by this Act, apply only to a financial statement filed under
	Subchapter B, Chapter 572, Government Code, on or after January 1,
	2017. A financial statement filed before January 1, 2017, is
	governed by the law in effect on the date of filing, and the former
	law is continued in effect for that purpose.
	SECTION 10.  Sections 572.064(b), 572.065(b), 572.066, and
	572.067, Government Code, as added by this Act, apply only to a
	member of the legislature or a person who holds a statewide elected
	office who ceases to be a member or who ceases to hold that office on
	or after the effective date of this Act.
	SECTION 11.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.