By Bosse                                              H.B. No. 1126
       74R4910 KLL-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to limiting political contributions for certain offices;
    1-3  providing a criminal penalty.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 253, Election Code, is
    1-6  amended by adding Section 253.043 to read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 253.043.  LIMITATIONS ON CONTRIBUTIONS IN CONNECTION
    1-8  WITH STATEWIDE OR DISTRICT OFFICE.  (a)  Except as provided by
    1-9  Subsection (b), a person may not knowingly make or authorize
   1-10  political contributions to a candidate for or holder of an office
   1-11  covered by this section, or to a specific-purpose committee for
   1-12  supporting or opposing the candidate or assisting the officeholder,
   1-13  that in the aggregate exceed the following amounts in a calendar
   1-14  year:
   1-15              (1)  for a district office, $2,500; and
   1-16              (2)  for a statewide office, $10,000.
   1-17        (b)  During a year in which an office covered by this section
   1-18  is on the ballot, a person may not knowingly make or authorize
   1-19  political contributions to a candidate for the office, or to a
   1-20  specific-purpose committee for supporting, opposing, or assisting
   1-21  that person, that in the aggregate exceed the following amounts for
   1-22  each election in which the candidate is involved:
   1-23              (1)  for a district office, $2,500; and
   1-24              (2)  for a statewide office, $10,000.
    2-1        (c)  A person may not knowingly accept political
    2-2  contributions in violation of Subsection (a) or (b).
    2-3        (d)  A person who violates this section commits an offense.
    2-4  An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor.
    2-5        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect January 1, 1996.
    2-6        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-7  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-8  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-9  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-10  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.