By Madden                                             H.B. No. 3287
         77R8937 ESH-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the reporting of certain political contributions and
 1-3     political expenditures.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Sections 254.038(a)-(c), Election Code, are
 1-6     amended to read as follows:
 1-7           (a)  In addition to other reports required by this chapter,
 1-8     the following persons shall file additional reports during the
 1-9     period beginning the ninth day before election day and ending at 5
1-10     p.m. [12 noon] on the [second] day before election day:
1-11                 (1)  a candidate for statewide office, state senator,
1-12     state representative, or member, State Board of Education, who has
1-13     an opponent whose name is to appear on the ballot and who accepts
1-14     political contributions from a person that in the aggregate exceed
1-15     $1,000 during that reporting period;
1-16                 (2)  [a candidate for state representative who has an
1-17     opponent whose name is to appear on the ballot and who accepts
1-18     political contributions from a person that in the aggregate exceed
1-19     $200 during that reporting period;]
1-20                 [(3)]  a specific-purpose committee for supporting or
1-21     opposing a candidate for an office covered by Subdivision (1)
1-22     [state senator] and that accepts political contributions from a
1-23     person that in the aggregate exceed $1,000 during that reporting
1-24     period; and
 2-1                 (3)  a political committee, other than a
 2-2     specific-purpose committee described by Subdivision (2), that:
 2-3                       (A)  accepts political contributions from a
 2-4     person that in the aggregate exceed $100 during that reporting
 2-5     period; or
 2-6                       (B)  makes a political expenditure that exceeds
 2-7     $100 during that reporting period
 2-8                 [(4)  a specific-purpose committee for supporting or
 2-9     opposing a candidate for state representative and that accepts
2-10     political contributions from a person that in the aggregate exceed
2-11     $200 during that reporting period].
2-12           (b)  Each report required by this section must include:
2-13                 (1)  the amount of the political contributions
2-14     specified by Subsection (a), the full name and address of the
2-15     person making the contributions, and the dates of the
2-16     contributions; or
2-17                 (2)  the amount of the political expenditures specified
2-18     by Subsection (a), the full name and address of the person to whom
2-19     the expenditures are made, and the dates and purposes of the
2-20     expenditures.
2-21           (c)  A report under this section shall be filed by telegram
2-22     or telephonic facsimile machine, [or] by hand, or electronically
2-23     with the commission not later than 24 [48] hours after the
2-24     contribution is accepted or the expenditure is made.
2-25           SECTION 2. Section 254.042(a), Election Code, is amended to
2-26     read as follows:
2-27           (a)  The commission shall determine from any available
 3-1     evidence whether a report, other than a telegram report under
 3-2     Section 254.038 [or 254.039], required to be filed with the
 3-3     commission under this chapter is late.  On making that
 3-4     determination, the commission shall immediately mail a notice of
 3-5     the determination to the person required to file the report.
 3-6           SECTION 3. Section 254.039, Election Code, is repealed.
 3-7           SECTION 4. Section 254.038, Election Code, as amended by this
 3-8     Act, and the repeal of Section 254.039, Election Code, by this Act
 3-9     apply only to the reporting of a political contribution accepted or
3-10     a political expenditure made on or after September 1, 2001.  The
3-11     reporting of a political contribution accepted or a political
3-12     expenditure made before September 1, 2001, is governed by the law
3-13     in effect on the date the contribution was accepted or the
3-14     expenditure was made, and the former law is continued in effect for
3-15     that purpose.
3-16           SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.