Public safety entities and publications must file a registration statement with the secretary of state before starting solicitations, and they must update it after certain changes.
Sec. 1803.053. REGISTRATION STATEMENT BY PUBLIC SAFETY ENTITY OR PUBLICATION. (a) Before beginning solicitations, a public safety entity or public safety publication shall file with the secretary of state: (1) a registration statement signed by two of its officers or directors; and (2) if the public safety entity or publisher of the publication, as applicable, is a nonresident, an irrevocable written consent appointing the secretary of state as agent for service of process on the entity or publisher for any action relating to a violation of this chapter. (b) The registration statement must disclose: (1) the name, street address, and telephone number of any public safety solicitor for the registering entity; (2) the name, street address, and telephone number of each public safety organization, public safety publication, or fund for which any part of the contributions will be used, or if there is no organization, publication, or fund, a statement describing how the contributions will be used; (3) whether the registering entity or fund that the contributions are being solicited for has a federal and state charitable tax exemption; (4) the name and public safety agency or former agency of each active and retired public safety officer serving on the board of directors or governing body of the registering entity; (5) the number of members and the percentage of members who are active and retired public safety officers of the United States, this state, or a political subdivision of this state, as determined on December 31 of the year preceding the year in which the registration is made and the contributions are solicited, if the registering entity is a public safety organization; (6) the name of the local chapter, lodge, association, or group of licensed public safety officers of the public safety organization for which contributions are being solicited, if the registering entity is a public safety organization; (7) a copy of the most recent tax or informational return filed with the Internal Revenue Service by the registering entity; (8) the amount of money collected during the previous year by the registering entity by solicitations of nonmembers of the public safety organization for which the funds were collected and the amount of funds paid as expenses to maintain the solicitation operation; (9) the amount of money, if known or projected, expected to be collected during the year of filing by the registering entity by nonmember solicitations described by Subdivision (8); (10) a copy of any contract or agreement between the registering entity and a solicitor; and (11) if the registering entity is a public safety publication, information on: (A) the total number of copies of each issue of the publication printed during the previous year; (B) the frequency of the publication; and (C) the date and circulation of the most recent issue of the publication. (c) A registration statement takes effect on the date the secretary of state issues a certificate and is valid for one year. The statement may be renewed annually by filing a renewal registration statement and paying the registration fee required by Section 1803.054. (d) A public safety entity or public safety publication shall file an updated statement with the secretary of state not later than the 30th day after the date of a change of street address, phone number, or name. Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.