| Vote Recommendation | Economic Freedom | Property Rights | Personal Responsibility | Limited Government | Individual Liberty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Negative | Neutral |
Relating to the organization and efficient operation of the
legislative branch of state government.
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
HB 4181 would make a variety of noncontroversial procedural and administrative changes in the legislature, including updates to procedures for the first day of a legislative session, oath of office ceremonies etc.
The bill would also make major changes including codifying vast new legislative privilege exempting a wide array of legislative communications from being subject to disclosure under the Texas Public Information Act.
The bill would also make changes to record keeping requirements by exempting the legislature from state records and having legislative records stand in a separate category subject to whatever rules the legislature may adopt.
Texas Action opposes HB 4181 because it would result in reduced transparency in government. For these reasons, we oppose passage HB 4181.