| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the acceptance of political contributions by a member |
|
|
of the Railroad Commission of Texas and of political contributions |
|
|
made in connection with the office of railroad commissioner. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 81, Natural Resources |
|
|
Code, is amended by adding Section 81.010045 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 81.010045. CERTAIN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS |
|
|
RESTRICTED. (a) In this section, "political committee" and |
|
|
"political contribution" have the meanings assigned by Section |
|
|
251.001, Election Code. |
|
|
(b) A commissioner may not knowingly accept a political |
|
|
contribution given or offered with the intention that it be used in |
|
|
connection with a campaign for or the holding of any elective |
|
|
office, including the office of commissioner, except during the |
|
|
period: |
|
|
(1) beginning 17 months before the date of the next |
|
|
general election at which the commissioner's office is filled; and |
|
|
(2) ending on the 30th day after the date of that |
|
|
election. |
|
|
(c) A person other than a commissioner may not knowingly |
|
|
accept a political contribution given or offered with the intention |
|
|
that it be used in connection with a campaign for the office of |
|
|
commissioner, except: |
|
|
(1) during the period: |
|
|
(A) beginning 17 months before the date of the |
|
|
next general election at which any commissioner's office is filled; |
|
|
and |
|
|
(B) ending on the 30th day after the date of that |
|
|
election; or |
|
|
(2) during the period beginning on the date a vacancy |
|
|
in the office of commissioner occurs and ending on the date that |
|
|
vacancy is filled. |
|
|
(d) A commissioner may not knowingly accept a political |
|
|
contribution, and shall refuse a political contribution that is |
|
|
received, from a party in a contested case before the commission or |
|
|
a political committee affiliated with such a party during the |
|
|
period: |
|
|
(1) beginning on the date notice of the hearing in the |
|
|
contested case is given; and |
|
|
(2) ending on: |
|
|
(A) the 30th day after the date the decision in |
|
|
the contested case is rendered; or |
|
|
(B) if a request for rehearing is filed: |
|
|
(i) the date the request is denied; or |
|
|
(ii) the 30th day after the date the |
|
|
decision after rehearing is rendered. |
|
|
(e) A commissioner shall return a political contribution |
|
|
that is received and refused under Subsection (d) not later than the |
|
|
30th day after the date the commissioner received the contribution. |
|
|
(f) The commission shall adopt rules necessary to implement |
|
|
Subsections (d) and (e), including rules that: |
|
|
(1) direct the commission to maintain a list of the |
|
|
contested cases before the commission and the parties to each case |
|
|
in order to aid the commissioners in complying with those |
|
|
subsections; and |
|
|
(2) ensure that each notice of a hearing in a contested |
|
|
case that is issued by the commission or a commissioner contains |
|
|
information about the political contributions prohibited under |
|
|
Subsection (d). |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |