By Yost H.B. No. 279
74R1751 JSA-F
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to implementation of annual legislative sessions and to
1-3 political contributions made during a legislative session.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 301.001, Government Code, is amended to
1-6 read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 301.001. Time of Meeting. (a) In each odd-numbered
1-8 year, the <The> legislature shall convene in regular session at 12
1-9 noon on the second Tuesday in January <of each odd-numbered year>.
1-10 (b) In each even-numbered year, the legislature shall
1-11 convene in budget session at 12 noon on the first Tuesday in May.
1-12 SECTION 2. Section 317.003(a), Government Code, is amended
1-13 to read as follows:
1-14 (a) The governor or Legislative Budget Board may make a
1-15 proposal at any time except during a <regular or special> session
1-16 of the legislature. A proposal may apply to an appropriation that
1-17 has been made for any specified fiscal year that has not ended at
1-18 the time the proposal is made.
1-19 SECTION 3. Section 403.121(a), Government Code, is amended
1-20 to read as follows:
1-21 (a) In the statement required by Article III, Section 49a,
1-22 of the Texas Constitution the comptroller shall list outstanding
1-23 appropriations that may exist after the end of the current fiscal
1-24 year but may not deduct them from the cash condition of the
2-1 treasury or the anticipated revenues of the next fiscal year or
2-2 biennium for the purpose of certification. The comptroller shall
2-3 base the reports, estimates, and certifications of available funds
2-4 on the actual or estimated cash condition of the treasury and shall
2-5 consider outstanding and undisbursed appropriations at the end of
2-6 each fiscal year or biennium as probable disbursements of the
2-7 succeeding fiscal year or biennium in the same manner that earned
2-8 but uncollected income of a current fiscal year or biennium is
2-9 considered in probable receipts of the succeeding fiscal year or
2-10 biennium. The comptroller shall consider as probable disbursements
2-11 warrants that will be issued by the state before the end of the
2-12 fiscal year.
2-13 SECTION 4. Section 253.034(a), Election Code, is amended to
2-14 read as follows:
2-15 (a) During the period beginning on the 31st <30th> day after
2-16 <before> the date a regular <legislative> session or budget session
2-17 of the legislature convenes and continuing through the day of final
2-18 adjournment, a person may not knowingly make a political
2-19 contribution to:
2-20 (1) a statewide officeholder;
2-21 (2) a member of the legislature; or
2-22 (3) a specific-purpose committee for supporting,
2-23 opposing, or assisting a statewide officeholder or member of the
2-24 legislature.
2-25 SECTION 5. (a) The change in law made by this Act to
2-26 Section 253.034, Election Code, applies only to an offense
2-27 committed on or after the effective date of this Act. For purposes
3-1 of this section, an offense is committed before the effective date
3-2 of this Act if any element of the offense occurs before the
3-3 effective date.
3-4 (b) An offense committed before the effective date of this
3-5 Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,
3-6 and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
3-7 SECTION 6. This Act takes effect when the constitutional
3-8 amendment proposed by the 74th Legislature, providing for annual
3-9 legislative sessions, is approved by the voters. If that proposed
3-10 constitutional amendment is not approved by the voters, this Act
3-11 has no effect.
3-12 SECTION 7. The importance of this legislation and the
3-13 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-14 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-15 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-16 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.