By Farabee                                            H.B. No. 1496
         77R5436 ESH-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the name of political committees for supporting a
 1-3     candidate or assisting an officeholder.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 252.0031, Election Code, is amended by
 1-6     adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
 1-7           (c)  Notwithstanding Subsection (b), the name of a
 1-8     specific-purpose committee for supporting a candidate or assisting
 1-9     an officeholder  may not include the name of the candidate or
1-10     officeholder the committee supports or assists unless the candidate
1-11     or officeholder in writing authorizes the committee to include the
1-12     candidate's or officeholder's name.  The authorization must be
1-13     filed with the committee's campaign treasurer appointment.
1-14           SECTION 2.  Not later than October 1, 2001, each
1-15     specific-purpose committee for supporting a candidate or assisting
1-16     an officeholder whose name includes the name of the candidate or
1-17     officeholder shall file with the authority with whom the
1-18     committee's campaign treasurer appointment is required to be filed:
1-19                 (1)  a written authorization from the candidate or
1-20     officeholder for the use of the candidate's or officeholder's name,
1-21     as required by Section 252.0031(c), Election Code, as added by this
1-22     Act; or
1-23                 (2)  an amended campaign treasurer appointment
1-24     indicating a new name for the committee that does not include the
 2-1     name of the candidate or officeholder.
 2-2           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.