Chapter 176 of the Local Government Code was enacted by the 79th Legislature in HB 914 to provide a means by which potentially conflicting relationships between vendors and members of a local governmental body could be disclosed to the public. (See Act of May 26, 2005, 79th Legislature).

Local government officers and vendors may be subject to the disclosure and reporting requirements of Chapter 176. Additional information regarding these requirements can be found at the Texas Ethics Commission website: http://www.ethics.state.tx.us/ or in Chapter 176 of the Local Government Code at: https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/LG/htm/LG.176.htm.

Disclosure of Interested Parties

A district may not enter into a contract that requires an action or vote of the board before the contract may be signed, or has a value of at least $1 million, with a business entity unless the business entity submits a disclosure of interested parties to the district at the time the business entity submits the signed contract to the district.

The disclosure of interested parties must be submitted on a form prescribed by the Texas Ethics Commission that includes a list of each interested party for the contract of which the contracting business entity is aware; and the signature of the authorized agent of the contracting business entity, acknowledging that the disclosure is made under oath and under penalty of perjury.

The weblink to the Texas Ethics Commission is: https://www.ethics.state.tx.us/whatsnew/elf_info_form1295.htm