By Madden, Naishtat                                   H.B. No. 3569

         75R11638 ESH-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to bank accounts in the name of candidates for public

 1-3     office.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Title 16, Revised Statutes, is amended by adding

 1-6     Article 360 to read as follows:

 1-7           Art. 360.  BANK ACCOUNTS FOR CANDIDATES FOR PUBLIC OFFICE

 1-8           Sec. 1.  DEFINITIONS.  In this article:

 1-9                 (1)  "Candidate" has the meaning assigned by Section

1-10     251.001, Election Code.

1-11                 (2)  "Financial institution" means a bank, savings and

1-12     loan association, savings bank, or credit union.

1-13           Sec. 2.  CONSENT OF CANDIDATE REQUIRED.  A financial

1-14     institution may not open an account in the name of a candidate

1-15     without obtaining that candidate's consent and signature.

1-16           Sec. 3.  CANDIDATE NEED NOT BE SIGNATORY.  Section 2 of this

1-17     article does not require that the candidate be a signatory to the

1-18     account.

1-19           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

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.