Ethics commission and DPS report early results implementing foreign‑adversary disclosure laws

James Tinley, executive director of the Texas Ethics Commission, briefed the committee on two 89th Legislature measures. He said SB 2514 created a reporting obligation for state and local employees to disclose certain contacts with foreign adversaries and that since the law took effect the Commission had received 147 disclosures. Tinley described advisory opinions and guidance developed to help agencies comply and noted House Bill 119 prohibits compensated lobbying for foreign adversaries and authorizes civil enforcement by the Attorney General.

Gerald Brown, chief of the Homeland Security Division at Texas DPS, described the Hostile Foreign Adversary Unit inside the Texas Fusion Center. Brown said the unit conducts hand screening of state employees, reviews foreign‑contact reports, evaluates foreign travel declarations, and conducts all‑source analysis, and that the unit has already supported criminal investigations and transnational repression reporting under new statutes. He emphasized partnerships with FBI, DHS, and other federal partners and noted infrastructure liaison and critical‑infrastructure exercises launched in 2025.

Members discussed how the new disclosures are routed (Ethics Commission forwards to DPS for follow‑up) and asked about guidance for domestic corporations with foreign subsidiaries; Tinley said advisory opinion processes will clarify scope. Several members asked DPS about the unit's structure and how it coordinates with the Homeland Security Division; Brown explained the fusion center placement and said the unit leverages statewide information sharing.