Highlights 77th Texas Legislature - Senate

___________________S TATE
FFAIRS/GeneralGeneral
TATE AFFAIRS
77 th Texas Legislature
Campaign Finance Reporting for Statewide Candidates - H.B. 407
by Representative Denny
Senate Sponsor: Senator Shapiro
Currently, state senators and state representatives must file supplemental campaign contribution reports
upon receipt of contributions exceeding $1,000 and $200, respectively, within nine days of the election.
However, statewide candidates are not required to file these supplemental reports.
Includes statewide offices in the supplemental filing requirements for campaign contributions exceeding
$1,000 within the second to ninth day before the election.
Survivor Benefits for Families of Officers Killer in the Line of Duty - H.B. 877
by Representatives Flores and Chavez
Senate Sponsor: Senator Barrientos
Provides survivor benefits for the families of certain peace officers and employees killed in the line of duty.
Adds a surviving minor child, if there is no surviving spouse, to the list of survivors eligible to receive
survivor benefits upon the death in the course of duty of certain peace officers.
Increases the survivor benefit payment to $250,000 from $50,000, which goes first to a surviving spouse,
then to surviving children if there is no eligible spouse, and last to the parents, if there are no surviving
spouse or children.
Exempts a surviving spouse or child from tuition and fees at state-supported colleges if the survivor enrolls
as a full-time student. Provides that the state will pay room and board in college housing and for textbooks
until the student receives a bachelor’s degree or 200 hours of credit.
Provides for additional benefits for survivors of a peace officer or an employee of the institutional division or
state jail division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice who was killed in the line of duty and had not
qualified for an annuity. Provides for an annuity and sets out how much the annuity will be. Sets out other
requirements regarding the annuity.
Lobbyists’ Conflicts of Interest - H.B. 1168
by Representative Wilson
Senate Sponsor: Senator Harris
Prohibits a lobbyist from representing opposing parties in lobbying communications and representing a
person if a conflict of interest arises which would materially affect the lobbyist’s clients.
Requires the lobbyist to promptly withdraw from one or more representations to remove any conflict of
interest situations.
Authorizes the Texas Ethics Commission to pursue complaints and impose civil and criminal penalties in
cases of lobbyists’ conflicts of interest.
Senate Research Center 277