By Danburg H.B. No. 1958 76R7000 ESH-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to reporting of certain political contributions; providing 1-3 a criminal penalty. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 254, Election Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Section 254.0612 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 254.0612. ADDITIONAL CONTENTS OF REPORTS BY CANDIDATES 1-8 FILING WITH COMMISSION. (a) In addition to the contents required 1-9 by Sections 254.031, 254.061, and, if applicable, 254.0611, each 1-10 report by a candidate who is required to file reports with the 1-11 commission must include, for each political committee from which 1-12 the candidate accepts a political contribution and receives notice 1-13 under Section 254.1281 or 254.1611, the full name, address, 1-14 principal occupation, and employer of each person who, since the 1-15 January 1 preceding the most recent general election for state and 1-16 county officers, has made: 1-17 (1) political contributions to that committee that in 1-18 the aggregate exceed $5,000 in any 12-month period; or 1-19 (2) political contributions to that committee in a 1-20 month that in the aggregate exceed five percent of the total amount 1-21 of political contributions accepted by the committee during that 1-22 month. 1-23 (b) If a person making political contributions described by 1-24 Subsection (a)(1) or (2) is a political committee, the candidate's 2-1 report must include, if applicable, the information required by 2-2 Subsection (a) as to political contributions to that committee. 2-3 (c) If the notice the candidate receives under Section 2-4 254.1281 or 254.1611 indicates that no person has made political 2-5 contributions described by Subsection (a)(1) or (2) to the 2-6 political committee since the January 1 preceding the most recent 2-7 general election for state and county officers, the candidate shall 2-8 indicate that fact in the report. 2-9 SECTION 2. Subchapter D, Chapter 254, Election Code, is 2-10 amended by adding Section 254.0912 to read as follows: 2-11 Sec. 254.0912. ADDITIONAL CONTENTS OF REPORTS BY 2-12 OFFICEHOLDERS FILING WITH COMMISSION. (a) In addition to the 2-13 contents required by Sections 254.031, 254.091, and, if 2-14 applicable, 254.0911, each report by an officeholder who is 2-15 required to file reports with the commission must include, for each 2-16 political committee from which the officeholder accepts a political 2-17 contribution and receives notice under Section 254.1281 or 2-18 254.1611, the full name, address, principal occupation, and 2-19 employer of each person who, since the January 1 preceding the most 2-20 recent general election for state and county officers, has made: 2-21 (1) political contributions to that committee that in 2-22 the aggregate exceed $5,000 in any 12-month period; or 2-23 (2) political contributions to that committee in a 2-24 month that in the aggregate exceed five percent of the total amount 2-25 of political contributions accepted by the committee during that 2-26 month. 2-27 (b) If a person making political contributions described by 3-1 Subsection (a)(1) or (2) is a political committee, the 3-2 officeholder's report must include, if applicable, the information 3-3 required by Subsection (a) as to political contributions to that 3-4 committee. 3-5 (c) If the notice the officeholder receives under Section 3-6 254.1281 or 254.1611 indicates that no person has made political 3-7 contributions described by Subsection (a)(1) or (2) to the 3-8 political committee since the January 1 preceding the most recent 3-9 general election for state and county officers, the officeholder 3-10 shall indicate that fact in the report. 3-11 SECTION 3. Subchapter E, Chapter 254, Election Code, is 3-12 amended by adding Section 254.1281 to read as follows: 3-13 Sec. 254.1281. NOTICE TO CERTAIN CANDIDATES AND 3-14 OFFICEHOLDERS OF CONTRIBUTIONS. (a) If a specific-purpose 3-15 committee makes a political contribution to a candidate or 3-16 officeholder who is required to file reports with the commission, 3-17 the committee's campaign treasurer shall deliver written notice to 3-18 the affected candidate or officeholder that includes the full name, 3-19 address, principal occupation, and employer of each person who, 3-20 since the January 1 preceding the most recent general election for 3-21 state and county officers, has made: 3-22 (1) political contributions to the committee that in 3-23 the aggregate exceed $5,000 in any 12-month period; or 3-24 (2) political contributions to the committee in a 3-25 month that in the aggregate exceed five percent of the total amount 3-26 of political contributions accepted by the committee during that 3-27 month. 4-1 (b) The notice must be delivered with the political 4-2 contribution. 4-3 (c) If no person has made political contributions described 4-4 by Subsection (a)(1) or (2) to the political committee since the 4-5 January 1 preceding the most recent general election for state and 4-6 county officers, the campaign treasurer shall indicate that fact in 4-7 the notice. 4-8 (d) The notice must include the full name and address of the 4-9 political committee and its campaign treasurer and an indication 4-10 that the committee is a specific-purpose committee. 4-11 (e) A campaign treasurer commits an offense if the campaign 4-12 treasurer fails to comply with this section. An offense under this 4-13 section is a Class A misdemeanor. 4-14 SECTION 4. Subchapter F, Chapter 254, Election Code, is 4-15 amended by adding Section 254.1611 to read as follows: 4-16 Sec. 254.1611. NOTICE TO CERTAIN CANDIDATES AND 4-17 OFFICEHOLDERS OF CONTRIBUTIONS. If a general-purpose committee 4-18 other than the principal political committee of a political party 4-19 or a political committee established by a political party's county 4-20 executive committee makes a political contribution to a candidate 4-21 or officeholder who is required to file reports with the 4-22 commission, the committee's campaign treasurer shall deliver 4-23 written notice to the affected candidate or officeholder as 4-24 provided by Section 254.1281 for a specific-purpose committee. 4-25 SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 4-26 SECTION 6. Sections 254.0612, 254.0912, 254.1281, and 4-27 254.1611, Election Code, as added by this Act, apply only to the 5-1 reporting of a political contribution made on or after September 1, 5-2 1999. The reporting of a political contribution made before 5-3 September 1, 1999, is governed by the law in effect at the time the 5-4 contribution was made, and the former law is continued in effect 5-5 for that purpose. 5-6 SECTION 7. The importance of this legislation and the 5-7 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 5-8 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 5-9 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 5-10 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.