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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to inaugural contribution limits and the disclosure of |
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inaugural contributions and expenditures. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 401.004(a), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) Subject to Section 401.0045, a [A] person may contribute |
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funds, services, or other things of value to pay the expenses of or |
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otherwise provide for an inauguration. This contribution is not a |
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political contribution for purposes of state law regulating |
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political contributions or prohibiting a contribution by a |
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corporation or labor organization. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 401, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 401.0045 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 401.0045. INAUGURAL CONTRIBUTION LIMITS; DISCLOSURE |
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STATEMENT. (a) In this section "political committee" has the |
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meaning assigned by Section 251.001, Election Code. |
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(b) Inaugural contributions made by a person under Section |
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401.004 are subject to the following contribution limits: |
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(1) for a person other than a person described by |
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Subdivision (3), the total amount of contributions may not exceed |
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$2,500; |
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(2) for a political committee, the total amount of |
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contributions may not exceed $7,500; and |
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(3) for a corporation that does business with this |
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state or an officer or other representative of the corporation, the |
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total amount of contributions may not exceed $7,500. |
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(c) Not later than the 30th day after the date of the |
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inauguration, the inaugural committee shall provide to the Texas |
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Ethics Commission a disclosure statement on the total inaugural |
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contributions received by the committee and the total expenditures |
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made by the committee for the inauguration. The disclosure |
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statement must include: |
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(1) if the total contributions or expenditures do not |
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exceed $1,000, a statement that the contributions received or the |
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expenditures made, as applicable, do not exceed that amount; or |
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(2) if the total contributions or expenditures exceed |
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$1,000, an itemized statement of the following: |
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(A) for each contribution of $500 or more: |
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(i) the full name and principal address of |
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the person making the contribution; |
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(ii) the total amount of the contribution; |
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and |
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(iii) the date the contribution was |
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received by the committee; |
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(B) for each contribution of less than $500, the |
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total amount of those contributions; |
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(C) for each person paid $500 or more by the |
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committee: |
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(i) the full name and principal address of |
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the person; |
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(ii) the total amount paid to the person; |
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and |
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(iii) each purpose for which the person was |
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paid; and |
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(D) for all persons paid less than $500 by the |
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committee: |
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(i) the total amount of those expenditures; |
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and |
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(ii) the total amount for each category of |
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expenditure. |
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SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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inaugural contributions or expenditures made on or after the |
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effective date of this Act. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |