BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 485 By: Denny 04-28-95 Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND Under current law a it is considered a political contribution or political expenditure if an organization or club affiliated with a political party holds a meeting during the 20 days preceding the date of a primary election, the general election for state and county officers, or a special election in which the candidate is involved. PURPOSE The purpose of this bill is to allow a candidate to appear before an organization or club affiliated with a political party at any time preceding an election without his/her appearance being considered a political contribution or political expenditure. This would allow organizations or clubs affiliated with political parties the opportunity to meet with candidates just prior to the election to allow their members the opportunity for final evaluation of the candidates. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1 Amends Section 251.008 (a), Election Code, by deleting Subsection (a) (2) pertaining to the meeting time exclusion prior to an election that a candidate may be involved in. SECTION 2 EFFECTIVE DATE: SEPTEMBER 1, 1995. SECTION 3 EMERGENCY CLAUSE. SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACTION HB 485 was considered by the Committee on Elections in a public hearing on April 12, 1995. The following persons testified in favor of HB 485: Dona C. Bruns, political action committee chair for the Texas Federation of Republican Women; Alice Louise Foster representing the Texas Federation of Republican Women; and Steve McDonald representing the Texas Democratic Party. The Chair left HB 485 pending. HB 485 was considered by the Committee on Elections in a public hearing on April 26, 1995. HB 485 was reported favorably without amendment, with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed and be sent to the Committee on Local and Consent Calendars, by a record vote of: 9 AYES, 0 NAYS, 0 PNV, 0 ABSENT.