By Danburg H.B. No. 2222
76R7238 ESH-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the regulation of certain political contributions by
1-3 candidates; providing a criminal penalty.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Sections 252.003(a) and (b), Election Code, are
1-6 amended to read as follows:
1-7 (a) In addition to the information required by Section
1-8 252.002, a campaign treasurer appointment by a general-purpose
1-9 committee must include:
1-10 (1) the full name, and any acronym of the name that
1-11 will be used in the name of the committee as provided by Subsection
1-12 (d), of each corporation, labor organization, or other association
1-13 or legal entity that directly establishes, administers, or controls
1-14 the committee, if applicable, or the name of each person who
1-15 determines to whom the committee makes contributions or the name of
1-16 each person who determines for what purposes the committee makes
1-17 expenditures;
1-18 (2) the full name and address of each general-purpose
1-19 committee to whom the committee intends to make political
1-20 contributions; [and]
1-21 (3) the full name and address of each candidate to
1-22 whom the committee intends to make political contributions; and
1-23 (4) the name of the committee and, if the name is an
1-24 acronym, the words the acronym represents.
2-1 (b) If any of the information required to be included in a
2-2 general-purpose committee's appointment changes, excluding changes
2-3 reported under Section 252.002(b), the committee shall file an
2-4 amended appointment with the commission not later than the 30th day
2-5 after the date the change occurs. A general-purpose committee that
2-6 files monthly reports as provided by Section 254.155 is not
2-7 required to file an amended appointment if the only information
2-8 that changes is the information required to be included under
2-9 Subsection (a)(3), but must include the changed information in the
2-10 first amended appointment the committee is otherwise required to
2-11 file under this subsection or Section 252.002(b).
2-12 SECTION 2. Section 252.0032, Election Code, is amended by
2-13 amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (c) to read as
2-14 follows:
2-15 (a) In addition to the information required by Section
2-16 252.002, a campaign treasurer appointment by a candidate must
2-17 include:
2-18 (1) the candidate's telephone number; [and]
2-19 (2) a statement, signed by the candidate, that the
2-20 candidate is aware of the nepotism law, Chapter 573, Government
2-21 Code; and
2-22 (3) the full name and address of each general-purpose
2-23 committee or candidate to whom the candidate intends to make
2-24 political contributions.
2-25 (c) If any of the information required to be included in a
2-26 candidate's appointment changes, the candidate shall promptly file
2-27 an amended appointment with the authority with whom the
3-1 appointment is required to be filed.
3-2 SECTION 3. Section 253.037, Election Code, is amended by
3-3 amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsections (e) and (f) to read
3-4 as follows:
3-5 (d) A general-purpose committee other than a committee that
3-6 files monthly reports as provided by Section 254.155 may not
3-7 knowingly make a political contribution to a candidate unless the
3-8 committee's campaign treasurer appointment listing the candidate
3-9 has been filed not later than the 30th day before the date the
3-10 contribution is made.
3-11 (e) Subsection (d) does not apply to a political
3-12 contribution consisting of the purchase of a ticket to a
3-13 fundraising dinner or similar event if the cost of the ticket does
3-14 not exceed the value received by the person attending the dinner or
3-15 event.
3-16 (f) A person who violates this section commits an offense.
3-17 An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor.
3-18 SECTION 4. Subchapter B, Chapter 253, Election Code, is
3-19 amended by adding Section 253.040 to read as follows:
3-20 Sec. 253.040. LIMITATION ON CERTAIN CONTRIBUTIONS BY
3-21 CANDIDATES. (a) A candidate may not knowingly make or authorize a
3-22 political contribution to a general-purpose committee or to another
3-23 candidate unless the candidate's campaign treasurer appointment
3-24 listing the committee or the other candidate has been filed not
3-25 later than the 30th day before the date the contribution is made.
3-26 (b) This section does not apply to a political contribution
3-27 consisting of the purchase of a ticket to a fundraising dinner or
4-1 similar event if the cost of the ticket does not exceed the value
4-2 received by the person attending the dinner or event.
4-3 (c) A person who violates this section commits an offense.
4-4 An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor.
4-5 SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
4-6 SECTION 6. Section 253.037, Election Code, as amended by
4-7 this Act, and Section 253.040, Election Code, as added by this Act,
4-8 apply only to a political contribution made on or after September
4-9 1, 1999. A political contribution made before September 1, 1999,
4-10 is governed by the law in effect at the time the contribution was
4-11 made, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
4-12 SECTION 7. The importance of this legislation and the
4-13 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-14 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-15 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-16 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.