SRC-JEC S.B. 720 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research CenterS.B. 720
By: West, Royce
Jurisprudence
6/20/2001
Enrolled


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, judicial candidates and officeholders are prohibited from using
political contributions to make political contributions to other candidates
or officeholders. S.B. 720 amends the prohibition to prohibit the candidate
from knowingly making that contribution.  It also limits the amount of
money that may be given to political parties, allowing only contributions
that are made in return for goods and services or contributions that are
not more than the candidate's pro rata share of the committee's normal
overhead and administrative or operating costs. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a
state officer, institution, or agency.  

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 253.1611, Election Code, as follows:  

(a)-(c)  Prohibit a judicial candidate or officeholder or a
specific-purpose committee for supporting or opposing a judicial candidate
or assisting a judicial officeholder from using a political contribution to
knowingly make certain political contributions.   

(d)  Prohibits a judicial officeholder or a specific-purpose committee for
assisting a judicial officeholder from, in any calendar year in which the
office held is not on the ballot, using a political contribution to
knowingly make a political contribution to a political committee that, when
aggregated with each other political contribution to a political committee
in that calendar year, exceeds $250. 

 (e)  Provides that this section does not apply to certain contributions.

(f)  Provides a formula to compute the candidate's or officeholder's share
of costs related to the exceptions under Subsection (e). 

 (g) Relettered from existing Subsection (f).

Makes conforming changes.

SECTION 2.  Makes application of this Act prospective.

SECTION 3.  Effective date: September 1, 2001.