Texas Ethics Commission


The Texas Ethics Commission
is authorized by Texas
Civil Statutes, Article 6252-9d.1,
sec.1.29, to issue advisory
opinions in regard to
the following statutes: Texas
Civil Statutes, Article 6252-9b;
the Government Code, Chapter
302; the Government Code,
Chapter 305; the Election
Code, Title 15; the Penal
Code, Chapter 36; and
the Penal Code, Chapter
39.


Requests for copies of the full text of opinions or questions
on particular submissions should be addressed to the Office of
the Texas Ethics Commission, P.O. Box 12070, Austin, Texas 78711-2070,
(512) 463-5800.









Opinions Request





AOR-51. The Texas
Ethics Commission has been
asked to consider whether
a candidate may give
surplus funds to charity.







AOR-52. The Texas
Ethics Commission has been
asked to consider whether
food and beverages provided
by a law firm at
a reception to which
certain legislators and legislative
staff are invited would
be "benefits" for purposes
of the Penal Code, Chapter
36.







AOR-53. The Texas
Ethics Commission has been
asked to consider whether
the provisions of Senate
Bill Number 1 limit the
authority of a state
legislator to make contact
with officers and employees
of a regulatory agency
in regard to a permit
application pending before the
agency. The legislator would
receive no compensation.







AOR-54. The Texas
Ethics Commission has been
asked to consider whether
the provisions of Senate
Bill 1 prohibit a legislator
from providing services to
a special-purpose district.







AOR-55. The Texas
Ethics Commission has been
asked to consider a question
about the commission's imposition
of a fine for failure
to file a monthly activity
report under the Government
Code, Chapter 305. The
requestor asks whether the
commission has authority to
impose a fine or grant
a waiver of a fine
if the requestor's failure
to choose modified reporting
(and thereby avoid the
requirement of monthly activity
reports) was "inadvertent and
unintentional." The requestor also
asks whether the commission
has authority to assess
a fine or grant a
waiver in this instance
since the commission has
now issued an advisory
opinion concluding that the
registrant's activities do not
in fact require registration
as a lobbyist.


Questions on particular submissions should be addressed to
the Texas Ethics Commission, P.O. Box 12070, Austin, Texas 78711-2070,
(512) 463-5800.





Issued in Austin, Texas, on June 9, 1992.


TRD-9207967



Sara Woelk


Director, Advisory Opinions


Texas Ethics Commission





Filed: June 10, 1992


For further information, please call: (512) 463-5800