By: Creighton  S.B. No. 3014          (In the Senate - Filed March 14, 2025; April 7, 2025, read   first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;   April 16, 2025, reported adversely, with favorable Committee   Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 1; April 16, 2025,   sent to printer.)Click here to see the committee vote     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 3014 By:  Hall     A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT     relating to the regulation of technical and clerical errors   contained in registrations and reports filed with the Texas Ethics   Commission and the commission's authority regarding the imposition   of certain penalties.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 571.0631, Government Code, is amended to   read as follows:          Sec. 571.0631.  RULES CONCERNING TECHNICAL AND CLERICAL   ERRORS [VIOLATIONS].  (a) The commission shall adopt rules   prescribing procedures for [investigating and] resolving technical   and clerical errors contained in [violations of laws within the   commission's jurisdiction.  For] registrations and reports filed   under laws within the commission's jurisdiction [Chapter 305, the   commission shall consider clerical violations to include obvious   typographical errors]. The rules must clearly outline:                 (1)  the types of errors that constitute a technical or   clerical error; and                (2)  the time and manner for correcting a technical or   clerical error.          (b)  A registrant filing a registration or report shall   [under Chapter 305 may] correct obvious typographical errors   [without penalty] by filing either a corrected registration or   report or an updated or amended registration or report.          (c)  Notwithstanding any other law, the commission may not   assess a penalty or fine against a person who files a registration   or report that contains a technical or clerical error based solely   on the error.          SECTION 2.  Section 571.173, Government Code, is amended to   read as follows:          Sec. 571.173.  CIVIL PENALTY FOR DELAY OR VIOLATION.  (a)   The commission may impose a civil penalty of not more than $5,000 or   triple the amount at issue under a law administered and enforced by   the commission, whichever amount is more, for a delay in complying   with a commission order or for a violation of a law administered and   enforced by the commission.          (b)  Notwithstanding any other law, the commission may only   impose a civil penalty for a violation of a law administered and   enforced by the commission if the violation is committed knowingly.   For purposes of this subsection, a violation is presumed to have not   been committed knowingly if the amount at issue is less than $500.          SECTION 3.  The heading to Section 571.1731, Government   Code, is amended to read as follows:          Sec. 571.1731.  WAIVER OR REDUCTION OF [LATE FILING]   PENALTY.          SECTION 4.  Section 571.1731(a), Government Code, is amended   to read as follows:          (a)  A person may request the waiver or reduction of a civil   penalty [under Section 305.033(b) or 572.033(b) of this code or   Section 254.042(b), Election Code,] by submitting an affidavit to   the executive director that states the filer's reasons for   requesting a waiver or reduction.          SECTION 5.  Sections 572.033(a) and (b), Government Code,   are amended to read as follows:          (a)  The commission shall determine from any available   evidence whether a statement required to be filed under this   subchapter is late. On making a determination that the statement is   late, the commission shall immediately mail a notice of the   determination to the individual responsible for filing the   statement [and to the appropriate attorney for the state].          (b)  If a statement is determined to be late, the individual   responsible for filing the statement is liable to the state for a   civil penalty of $500.  [If a statement is more than 30 days late,   the commission shall issue a warning of liability by registered   mail to the individual responsible for the filing. If the penalty   is not paid before the 10th day after the date on which the warning   is received, the individual is liable for a civil penalty in an   amount determined by commission rule, but not to exceed $10,000.]          SECTION 6.  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 and knowingly and   wilfully fails to file a financial statement as required by this   subchapter on three separate occasions.          SECTION 7.  The following provisions of the Government Code   are repealed:                (1)  Section 571.079;                (2)  Section 572.007; and                (3)  Section 572.033(c).          SECTION 8.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to   a registration, report, or statement that is required to be filed   with the Texas Ethics Commission on or after the effective date of   this Act. A registration, report, or statement that is required to   be filed before the effective date of this Act is governed by the   law in effect on the date the registration, report, or statement is   required to be filed, and the former law is continued in effect for   that purpose.          SECTION 9.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to   conduct constituting a violation of a law administered and enforced   by the Texas Ethics Commission that occurs on or after the effective   date of this Act. Conduct constituting a violation of a law   administered and enforced by the commission that occurs before the   effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the   date the conduct occurs, and the former law is continued in effect   for that purpose.          SECTION 10.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.     * * * * *