By Craddick H.B. No. 735
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to uses of balances in the inaugural fund and to
1-3 restrictions on contributions made to or accepted by an inaugural
1-4 committee or endowment fund committee; making appropriations.
1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-6 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 401, Government Code, is
1-7 amended by adding Section 401.011 to read as follows:
1-8 Sec. 401.011. GOVERNOR'S ENDOWMENT FUND; LIEUTENANT
1-9 GOVERNOR'S ENDOWMENT FUND. (a) To the extent that the balance of
1-10 the inaugural fund exceeds $100,000 plus the amount necessary to
1-11 cover fund obligations, on the date the inaugural committee is
1-12 dissolved that balance shall be transferred in equal shares to
1-13 accounts in the general revenue fund to be known respectively as
1-14 the governor's endowment fund and the lieutenant governor's
1-15 endowment fund. The funds shall be administered and expended in
1-16 accordance with this section.
1-17 (b) The funds may be expended for educational, historical,
1-18 or charitable purposes, or for the improvement of state property,
1-19 at the discretion of the respective governing committees. The
1-20 funds may be expended only for projects or purposes that solely or
1-21 primarily benefit the State of Texas and Texas residents.
1-22 (c) The governor shall appoint three persons to the
1-23 governor's endowment fund committee, and the lieutenant governor
1-24 shall appoint three persons to the lieutenant governor's endowment
2-1 fund committee. Notwithstanding other law, the spouse of the
2-2 governor or lieutenant governor may be appointed to the committee.
2-3 (d) The governor or lieutenant governor, as applicable,
2-4 shall designate the chair of the committee. Members of the
2-5 committee serve for terms of two years, expiring on the third
2-6 Tuesday in January in odd-numbered years. Committee members serve
2-7 without compensation or reimbursement for travel or personal
2-8 expenses incurred in carrying out committee duties.
2-9 (e) In addition to the transfer from the inaugural fund,
2-10 each committee may accept contributions of money for deposit in the
2-11 appropriate fund or gifts of services in support of committee
2-12 activities.
2-13 (f) Not later than October 1 of each year, each committee
2-14 shall file a report with the secretary of state detailing
2-15 contributions received and expenditures made during the 12 months
2-16 ending on the September 1 preceding the report. The secretary
2-17 shall publish each report in the Texas Register.
2-18 (g) Each committee is a governmental body for purposes of
2-19 Chapters 551 and 552 but is not subject to Chapter 2001.
2-20 (h) Sections 403.094 and 403.095 do not apply to the
2-21 governor's endowment fund or the lieutenant governor's endowment
2-22 fund.
2-23 SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 401, Government Code, is
2-24 amended by adding Section 401.012 to read as follows:
2-25 Sec. 401.012. RESTRICTIONS ON CONTRIBUTIONS TO COMMITTEES
2-26 DURING REGULAR LEGISLATIVE SESSION. (a) During a year in which an
2-27 inauguration is held, a person may not knowingly make a
3-1 contribution to the inaugural committee or to an endowment fund
3-2 committee during the period beginning on the day after the date of
3-3 the inauguration and continuing through the day of final
3-4 adjournment of a regular legislative session.
3-5 (b) During a year in which an inauguration is not held, a
3-6 person may not knowingly make a contribution to an endowment fund
3-7 committee during the period beginning on the 30th day before the
3-8 date a regular legislative session convenes and continuing through
3-9 the day of final adjournment.
3-10 (c) An inaugural committee or endowment fund committee may
3-11 not knowingly accept a contribution during the period prescribed by
3-12 Subsection (a) or (b).
3-13 SECTION 3. For the biennium ending August 31, 1995, the
3-14 balance of the governor's endowment fund and the lieutenant
3-15 governor's endowment fund is appropriated to the respective
3-16 committees established pursuant to Section 401.011, Government
3-17 Code, as added by this Act, for the purposes provided by that
3-18 section.
3-19 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
3-20 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-21 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-22 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-23 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
3-24 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
3-25 passage, and it is so enacted.