Morales Travel Bill Covers Every Statewide Official But The Governor

The text as introduced · 678 words

89R1482 CJC-D

By: Morales of Maverick
H.B. No. 1034

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the reimbursement by certain elected officers of state

money used to pay the out-of-state travel and security costs of

those officers.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 5, Government Code, is amended

by adding Chapter 577 to read as follows:

CHAPTER 577. REIMBURSEMENT FOR STATE-FUNDED TRAVEL AND SECURITY

Sec. 577.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:

(1) "Commission" means the Texas Ethics Commission.

(2) "Elected officer" means a member of the

legislature or the holder of an office of state government that is

voted on statewide, including a person appointed to fill a vacancy

in such an office. The term does not include the governor.

Sec. 577.002. DISCLOSURE OF STATE-FUNDED TRAVEL OUTSIDE

THIS STATE. (a) An elected officer who uses state money for

transportation or security for travel outside this state shall file

a disclosure with the commission. A disclosure filed under this

chapter must be filed electronically.

(b) The disclosure must include:

(1) the dates on which the travel occurred;

(2) the locations where the travel occurred;

(3) the cost of the travel;

(4) the purpose of the travel; and

(5) the use to which the state-funded transportation

or security personnel was put.

Sec. 577.003. DEADLINE FOR FILING DISCLOSURE. An elected

officer shall file a disclosure under this chapter not later than

July 15 for travel ending on or after January 1 and on or before June

30. An elected officer shall file the disclosure not later than

January 15 for travel ending on or after July 1 and on or before

December 31 of the previous year.

Sec. 577.004. COMMISSION REVIEW; REIMBURSEMENT. (a) The

commission shall review each disclosure filed under this chapter to

determine whether the state-funded transportation or security

described by the disclosure was used for official state business.

The commission must complete the review not later than the 90th day

after the date the disclosure is filed.

(b) Not later than the 10th day after the date a review is

completed under Subsection (a), the commission shall send written

notice to the elected officer stating whether the commission

determined that the state-funded transportation or security was

used for official state business.

(c) An elected officer receiving notice under Subsection

(b) that the state-funded transportation or security was not used

for official state business shall reimburse the state for the cost

of the travel and security, plus interest calculated at a rate equal

to inflation.

SECTION 2. Section 571.061(a), Government Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(a) The commission shall administer and enforce:

(1) Chapters 302, 303, 305, 572, 577, and 2004;

(2) Subchapter C, Chapter 159, Local Government Code,

in connection with a county judicial officer, as defined by Section

159.051, Local Government Code, who elects to file a financial

statement with the commission;

(3) Title 15, Election Code; and

(4) Sections 2152.064 and 2155.003.

SECTION 3. Section 571.091(a), Government Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(a) The commission shall prepare a written opinion

answering the request of a person subject to any of the following

laws for an opinion about the application of any of these laws to

the person in regard to a specified existing or hypothetical

factual situation:

(1) Chapter 302;

(2) Chapter 303;

(3) Chapter 305;

(4) Chapter 2004;

(5) Chapter 572;

(6) Subchapter C, Chapter 159, Local Government Code,

as provided by Section 571.061(a)(2);

(7) Title 15, Election Code;

(8) Chapter 36, Penal Code;

(9) Chapter 39, Penal Code;

(10) Section 2152.064; [ or ]

(11) Section 2155.003 ; or

(12) Chapter 577 .

SECTION 4. The change in law made by this Act applies only

to travel beginning on or after the effective date of this Act.

Travel beginning before the effective date of this Act is governed

by the law in effect on the date the travel began, and the former law

is continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.