HB 3711
AN ACT relating to the investigation and prosecution of certain open
89th Regular Session
Jan 14, 2025 - Jun 2, 2025 • Session ended
Awaiting Committee Assignment
Bill filed, pending referral to House committee
Committee
Not yet assigned
Fiscal Note
Not available
What This Bill Does
Expands the definition of "offenses against public administration" to include violations of open meetings laws by county, municipal, and school district officers. It specifically adds offenses under Chapter 551 (Open Meetings Act) to the list of prosecutable administrative offenses, giving law enforcement and prosecutors more tools to investigate and charge public officials who improperly conduct closed meetings or violate transparency requirements. The changes will apply to offenses committed on or after September 1, 2025.
Subject Areas
Bill Text
relating to the investigation and prosecution of certain open meetings offenses as offenses against public administration. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 411.0252, Government Code, is amended to Sec. 411.0252. OFFENSES AGAINST PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION. For purposes of this subchapter, the following are offenses against (1) an offense under Title 8, Penal Code, committed by a state officer or a state employee in connection with the powers and duties of the state office or state employment; (2) an offense under Chapter 301, 302, 571, 572, or 2004 committed by a state officer or a state employee in connection with the powers and duties of the state office or state employment or by a candidate for state office; (3) an offense under Chapter 573 committed by a state officer in connection with the powers and duties of the state (4) an offense under Title 15, Election Code, (A) a campaign for or the holding of state (B) an election on a proposed constitutional (5) an offense under Chapter 551 committed by a county or municipal officer or school district board of trustees member. SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
Expert Lobbyists for This Bill
These lobbyists specialize in Ethics, Law Enforcement and related subject areas.
Robert D. Miller
Haley Cornyn
Allen E. Blakemore
Michael J. Johnson
Vera Denise Rose
Gavin L. Massingill
Fred Shannon
Sarah Hicks
Matthew Bentley
Allison Billodeau
Bill History
Bill filed: AN ACT relating to the investigation and prosecution of certain open
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