TX SB3014

Prohibits the Texas Ethics Commission from assessing penalties or fines for technical or clerical errors in registrations and reports, and requires the commission to adopt rules defining what constitutes such errors and how to correct them

Restricts the commission to imposing civil penalties only for violations committed "knowingly," with violations involving less than $500 presumed to not be knowing violations

Reduces the penalty for late financial disclosure statements to a flat $500 fine, eliminating the escalating penalty structure that previously allowed fines up to $10,000 for statements more than 30 days late

Raises the threshold for criminal offenses for failing to file financial statements, requiring state officers or candidates to knowingly and willfully fail to file on three separate occasions before committing an offense

Expands the ability to request waiver or reduction of any civil penalty (not just late filing penalties) by submitting an affidavit to the executive director explaining the reasons for the request

Takes effect September 1, 2025, and applies only to filings required and conduct occurring on or after that date