By Danburg                                            H.B. No. 2359
         77R7120 PAM-F                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to permitting political contributions and expenditures
 1-3     generated from certain funds of certain labor organizations.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 253.101, Election Code, is amended to
 1-6     read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 253.101.  UNLAWFUL CONTRIBUTION OR EXPENDITURE BY
 1-8     COMMITTEE.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b), a [A]
 1-9     political committee assisted by a corporation or labor organization
1-10     under Section 253.100 may not make a political contribution or
1-11     political expenditure in whole or part from money that is known by
1-12     a member or officer of the political committee to be dues, fees, or
1-13     other money required as a condition of employment or condition of
1-14     membership in a labor organization.
1-15           (b)  A political committee assisted by a law enforcement
1-16     employee organization may make a political contribution or
1-17     political expenditure in whole or part from dues, fees, or other
1-18     money required as a condition of employment or condition of
1-19     membership in the organization if a majority of the members of the
1-20     organization vote by secret ballot to have a specified percentage
1-21     or amount of the dues, fees, or other money contributed to the
1-22     political committee.
1-23           (c)  In this section, "law enforcement employee organization"
1-24     means a labor organization that is:
 2-1                 (1)  exempt from federal income tax under Section
 2-2     501(c)(4) or (5), Internal Revenue Code of 1986; and
 2-3                 (2)  composed of members who are licensed by the
 2-4     Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education under
 2-5     Chapter 1701, Occupations Code.
 2-6           (d)  A person who violates this section commits an offense.
 2-7     An offense under this section is a felony of the third degree.
 2-8           SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
 2-9           (b)  The change in law made by this Act applies only to a
2-10     political contribution or political expenditure made on or after
2-11     the effective date of this Act. A political contribution or
2-12     political expenditure made before the effective date of this Act is
2-13     governed by the law in effect at the time the political
2-14     contribution or political expenditure was made, and the former law
2-15     is continued in effect for that purpose.