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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to matters affecting the powers and duties of the Texas |
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Ethics Commission. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 251, Election Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 251.0017 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 251.0017. POLITICAL ADVERTISING RELATED TO |
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LEGISLATION. For purposes of Section 251.001(16), a communication |
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supporting or opposing legislation filed by a member of the |
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legislature is considered political advertising under that |
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subdivision if the communication appears to express support or |
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opposition of: |
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(1) the member; or |
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(2) persons who support or oppose the legislation. |
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SECTION 2. Section 253.031(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) A candidate may not knowingly accept [a] campaign |
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contributions totaling more than $500 [contribution] or make or |
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authorize [a] campaign expenditures totaling more than $500 |
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[expenditure] at a time when a campaign treasurer appointment for |
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the candidate is not in effect. |
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SECTION 3. Section 254.031(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) Except as otherwise provided by this chapter, each |
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report filed under this chapter must include: |
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(1) the amount of political contributions[, other than |
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political contributions described by Subdivision (1-a),] from each |
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person that in the aggregate exceed $50 and that are accepted during |
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the reporting period by the person or committee required to file a |
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report under this chapter, the full name and address of the person |
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making the contributions, and the dates of the contributions; |
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[(1-a) the amount of political contributions from each |
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person that are made electronically and that are accepted during |
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the reporting period by the person or committee required to file a |
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report under this chapter, the full name and address of the person |
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making the contributions, and the dates of the contributions;] |
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(2) the amount of loans that are made during the |
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reporting period for campaign or officeholder purposes to the |
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person or committee required to file the report and that in the |
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aggregate exceed $50, the dates the loans are made, the interest |
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rate, the maturity date, the type of collateral for the loans, if |
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any, the full name and address of the person or financial |
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institution making the loans, the full name and address, principal |
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occupation, and name of the employer of each guarantor of the loans, |
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the amount of the loans guaranteed by each guarantor, and the |
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aggregate principal amount of all outstanding loans as of the last |
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day of the reporting period; |
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(3) the amount of political expenditures that in the |
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aggregate exceed $100 and that are made during the reporting |
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period, the full name and address of the persons to whom the |
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expenditures are made, and the dates and purposes of the |
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expenditures; |
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(4) the amount of each payment made during the |
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reporting period from a political contribution if the payment is |
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not a political expenditure, the full name and address of the person |
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to whom the payment is made, and the date and purpose of the |
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payment; |
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(5) the total amount or a specific listing of the |
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political contributions of $50 or less accepted and the total |
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amount or a specific listing of the political expenditures of $100 |
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or less made during the reporting period; |
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(6) the total amount of all political contributions |
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accepted and the total amount of all political expenditures made |
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during the reporting period; |
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(7) the name of each candidate or officeholder for |
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whom [who benefits from] a direct campaign expenditure was made to |
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support or oppose during the reporting period by the person or |
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committee required to file the report, and the office sought or |
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held, excluding a direct campaign expenditure that is made by the |
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principal political committee of a political party on behalf of a |
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slate of two or more nominees of that party; |
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(8) as of the last day of a reporting period for which |
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the person is required to file a report, the total amount of |
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political contributions accepted, including interest or other |
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income on those contributions, maintained in one or more accounts |
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in which political contributions are deposited as of the last day of |
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the reporting period; |
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(9) any credit, interest, rebate, refund, |
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reimbursement, or return of a deposit fee resulting from the use of |
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a political contribution or an asset purchased with a political |
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contribution that is received during the reporting period and the |
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amount of which exceeds $100; |
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(10) any proceeds of the sale of an asset purchased |
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with a political contribution that is received during the reporting |
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period and the amount of which exceeds $100; |
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(11) any investment purchased with a political |
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contribution that is received during the reporting period and the |
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amount of which exceeds $100; |
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(12) any other gain from a political contribution that |
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is received during the reporting period and the amount of which |
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exceeds $100; and |
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(13) the full name and address of each person from whom |
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an amount described by Subdivision (9), (10), (11), or (12) is |
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received, the date the amount is received, and the purpose for which |
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the amount is received. |
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SECTION 4. Section 305.002(6), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(6) "Legislation" means: |
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(A) a bill, resolution, amendment, nomination, |
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or other matter pending in either house of the legislature, |
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including the election of the speaker of the house of |
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representatives; |
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(B) any matter that is or may be the subject of |
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action by either house or by a legislative committee, including the |
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introduction, consideration, passage, defeat, approval, or veto of |
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the matter; or |
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(C) any matter pending in a constitutional |
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convention or that may be the subject of action by a constitutional |
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convention. |
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SECTION 5. Section 571.064(b), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(b) If a law administered and enforced by the commission |
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sets dollar amounts or categories of amounts as reporting |
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thresholds or if the commission sets those amounts, the commission |
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[annually] shall decennially adjust those thresholds [upward] to |
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the nearest multiple of $100 [$10] in accordance with the |
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percentage increase for the preceding 10 years [previous year] in |
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the Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers published by the |
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Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of |
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Labor. |
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SECTION 6. Section 254.036(g), Election Code, is repealed. |
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SECTION 7. Section 254.031, Election Code, as amended by |
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this Act, applies only to a report that is required to be filed |
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under Chapter 254, Election Code, on or after the effective date of |
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this Act. A report that is required to be filed under that chapter |
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before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in |
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effect on the date the report is required to be filed, and the |
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former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 8. The changes in law made by this Act to Section |
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571.064(b), Government Code, do not affect an adjustment made by |
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the Texas Ethics Commission under that subsection before the |
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effective date of this Act. An adjustment made before the effective |
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date of this Act is governed by the law in effect when the |
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adjustment was made, and the former law is continued in effect for |
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that purpose. |
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SECTION 9. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |