Sec. 659.140. STATE EMPLOYEE CHARITABLE CAMPAIGN POLICY COMMITTEE. (a) The state employee charitable campaign policy committee shall consist of nine members.

(b) The governor with the advice and consent of the senate shall appoint two members who are state employees at the time of their appointment and one member who is a retired state employee receiving benefits under Chapter 814. The lieutenant governor and the comptroller shall appoint three members each. An appointment to the committee shall be made without regard to the race, color, disability, sex, religion, age, or national origin of the appointee. The state policy committee shall elect a chair biennially from its own membership.

(c) The state policy committee must:

(1) be composed of employees and retired state employees receiving benefits under Chapter 814; and

(2) in its membership, represent employees at different levels of employee classification.

(c-1) The governor, lieutenant governor, and comptroller shall attempt to appoint members to the state policy committee from institutions of higher education and a range of small, medium, and large state agencies.

(d) A person may not be a member of the committee if the person or the person's spouse is employed by or participates in the management or sits on the board of any entity or organization including any federation or fund that receives money through the state employee charitable campaign.

(e) The state policy committee shall:

(1) establish the organization and structure of the state employee charitable campaign at the state and local levels, including:

(A) establishing local campaign areas;

(B) appointing any local employee committees the state policy committee considers necessary to assist the state policy committee with evaluating applications from organizations that seek to participate in the state employee charitable campaign only in a local campaign area; and

(C) appointing any local campaign managers the state policy committee considers necessary to administer the state employee charitable campaign in a local campaign area;

(2) develop a strategic plan for the state employee charitable campaign and make changes to improve the campaign as necessary;

(3) in coordination with the state campaign manager, post on the state employee charitable campaign Internet website annual summary information regarding the state employee charitable campaign's performance, including information about:

(A) state employee participation;

(B) the amount of donations pledged and collected;

(C) the amount of donations pledged to and received by each charitable organization;

(D) the total cost to administer the state employee charitable campaign; and

(E) the balance of any surplus account maintained by the state policy committee;

(4) select as the state campaign manager:

(A) a federated community campaign organization; or

(B) a charitable organization determined by the state policy committee to have demonstrated the capacity to conduct a state campaign;

(5) enter into a contract with the state campaign manager selected under Subdivision (4) for the administration of the state employee charitable campaign;

(6) determine the eligibility of:

(A) a federation or fund and its affiliated agencies for statewide participation in the state employee charitable campaign; and

(B) if the state policy committee does not appoint a local employee committee, a charitable organization for participation in the state employee charitable campaign in a local campaign area;

(7) develop in coordination with the state campaign manager, review, and approve:

(A) an annual campaign plan;

(B) an annual budget, including:

(i) costs related to contracting for the administration of the state employee charitable campaign at the state and local levels;

(ii) costs related to changes or improvements to the state employee charitable campaign; and

(iii) other costs determined and prioritized by the state policy committee; and

(C) generic materials to be used for the campaign;

(8) oversee the state employee charitable campaign to ensure that all:

(A) campaign activities are conducted fairly and equitably to promote unified solicitation on behalf of all participants; and

(B) donations are appropriately distributed by a federation or fund or a charitable organization that receives money from the state employee charitable campaign; and

(9) perform other duties prescribed by the comptroller's rules.

(e-1) The comptroller shall provide administrative support to the state policy committee, including assistance in:

(1) developing and overseeing contracts; and

(2) developing the budget of the state employee charitable campaign.

(f) The state employee charitable campaign policy committee is subject to the open meetings law, Chapter 551, Government Code.

(g) The state employee charitable campaign policy committee is subject to the public information law, Chapter 552, Government Code.

(h) Any contract entered into under Chapter 659, Subchapter I must require the contracting vendor, institution, individual, corporation, or other business or charitable entity to provide all information maintained by the entity related to the expenditure of public funds to the state employee charitable campaign policy committee upon request.

(i) The state employee charitable campaign policy committee is subject to the Texas Sunset Act. Unless continued in existence as provided by that chapter, the committee is abolished and Government Code, Chapter 659, Subchapter I, and Sections 814.0095 and 814.0096 expire on September 1, 2025.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 5.17(a), eff. Sept. 1, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1319, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.

Amended by:

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 280 (H.B. 1608), Sec. 1, eff. June 17, 2011.

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1015 (H.B. 2549), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2011.

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1249 (S.B. 1664), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2011.

Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1315 (S.B. 217), Sec. 4, eff. September 1, 2013.

Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1315 (S.B. 217), Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2013.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 938 (H.B. 3123), Sec. 3.02, eff. June 18, 2015.