By Farabee H.B. No. 2494
76R8640 ESH-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the reporting of political expenditures.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Section 254.031, Election Code, is amended to
1-5 read as follows:
1-6 Sec. 254.031. GENERAL CONTENTS OF REPORTS. (a) Except as
1-7 otherwise provided by this chapter, each report filed under this
1-8 chapter must include:
1-9 (1) the amount of political contributions from each
1-10 person that in the aggregate exceed $50 and that are accepted
1-11 during the reporting period by the person or committee required to
1-12 file a report under this chapter, the full name and address of the
1-13 person making the contributions, and the dates of the
1-14 contributions;
1-15 (2) the amount of loans that are made during the
1-16 reporting period for campaign or officeholder purposes to the
1-17 person or committee required to file the report and that in the
1-18 aggregate exceed $50, the dates the loans are made, the interest
1-19 rate, the maturity date, the type of collateral for the loans, if
1-20 any, the full name and address of the person or financial
1-21 institution making the loans, the full name and address, principal
1-22 occupation, and name of the employer of each guarantor of the
1-23 loans, the amount of the loans guaranteed by each guarantor, and
1-24 the aggregate principal amount of all outstanding loans as of the
2-1 last day of the reporting period;
2-2 (3) the amount of political expenditures in the form
2-3 of political contributions to candidates, officeholders, and
2-4 political committees that in the aggregate exceed $50 and that are
2-5 made during the reporting period, the full name and address of the
2-6 candidates, officeholders, and political committees [persons] to
2-7 whom the contributions [expenditures] are made, [and] the dates of
2-8 the contributions, and as applicable:
2-9 (A) the office sought or held by the candidate
2-10 or officeholder to whom the contribution relates;
2-11 (B) an identification of each measure supported
2-12 or opposed; or
2-13 (C) a statement that the recipient of the
2-14 contribution is a general-purpose committee [and purposes of the
2-15 expenditures];
2-16 (4) the amount of direct campaign expenditures that in
2-17 the aggregate exceed $50 and that are made during the reporting
2-18 period, the full name and address of the persons to whom the
2-19 expenditures are made, the dates and purposes of the expenditures,
2-20 and as applicable:
2-21 (A) the name of each candidate or officeholder
2-22 whom the expenditure benefits and the office sought or held; or
2-23 (B) an identification of each measure in support
2-24 of or opposition to for which the expenditures are made;
2-25 (5) the amount of political expenditures, other than
2-26 political contributions to candidates, officeholders, and political
2-27 committees and direct campaign expenditures, that in the aggregate
3-1 exceed $50 and that are made during the reporting period, the full
3-2 name and address of the persons to whom the expenditures are made,
3-3 and the dates and purposes of the expenditures;
3-4 (6) the amount of each payment made during the
3-5 reporting period from a political contribution if the payment is
3-6 not a political expenditure, the full name and address of the
3-7 person to whom the payment is made, and the date and purpose of the
3-8 payment;
3-9 (7) [(5)] the total amount or a specific listing of
3-10 the political contributions of $50 or less accepted during the
3-11 reporting period;
3-12 (8) [and] the total amount or a specific listing of
3-13 the political expenditures in the form of political contributions
3-14 to candidates, officeholders, and political committees of $50 or
3-15 less made during the reporting period;
3-16 (9) the total amount or a specific listing of the
3-17 direct campaign expenditures of $50 or less made during the
3-18 reporting period;
3-19 (10) the total amount or a specific listing of the
3-20 political expenditures, other than political contributions to
3-21 candidates, officeholders, and political committees and direct
3-22 campaign expenditures, of $50 or less made during the reporting
3-23 period; and
3-24 (11) [(6)] the total amount of all political
3-25 contributions accepted and the total amount of all political
3-26 expenditures made during the reporting period[; and]
3-27 [(7) the name of each candidate or officeholder who
4-1 benefits from a direct campaign expenditure made during the
4-2 reporting period by the person or committee required to file the
4-3 report, and the office sought or held, excluding a direct campaign
4-4 expenditure that is made by the principal political committee of a
4-5 political party on behalf of a slate of two or more nominees of
4-6 that party].
4-7 (b) Subsection (a)(4)(A) does not apply to a direct campaign
4-8 expenditure that is made by the principal political committee of a
4-9 political party on behalf of a slate of three or more nominees of
4-10 that party, if the expenditure is for printed materials or
4-11 political advertising published in a newspaper, magazine, or other
4-12 printed medium.
4-13 (c) If no reportable activity occurs during a reporting
4-14 period, the person required to file a report shall indicate that
4-15 fact in the report.
4-16 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
4-17 SECTION 3. Section 254.031, Election Code, as amended by
4-18 this Act, applies only to a report required to be filed under
4-19 Chapter 254, Election Code, on or after September 1, 1999. A
4-20 report required to be filed under Chapter 254, Election Code,
4-21 before September 1, 1999, is governed by the law in effect at the
4-22 time the report was required to be filed, and the former law is
4-23 continued in effect for that purpose.
4-24 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
4-25 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-26 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-27 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
5-1 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.