By Moreno H.B. No. 550 74R2372 KLL-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to requiring political advertising on billboards to 1-3 indicate a candidate's party alignment; providing a criminal 1-4 penalty. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. Chapter 255, Election Code, is amended by adding 1-7 Section 255.008 to read as follows: 1-8 Sec. 255.008. PARTY ALIGNMENT ON BILLBOARDS. (a) Political 1-9 advertising that appears on a billboard and that supports or 1-10 opposes a candidate must indicate the political party with which 1-11 the candidate is aligned. 1-12 (b) A person who knowingly enters into a contract or other 1-13 agreement to print or make political advertising that violates this 1-14 section commits an offense. An offense under this section is a 1-15 Class C misdemeanor. 1-16 (c) In this section, "political party" includes only a 1-17 political party required to hold a primary election under Section 1-18 172.001. 1-19 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995. 1-20 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 1-21 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-22 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-23 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-24 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.