1-1     By:  West                                              S.B. No. 720
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed February 14, 2001; February 19, 2001,
 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence;
 1-4     April 5, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 5,
 1-5     Nays 0; April 5, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to regulating certain political contributions made by
 1-9     judicial candidates and officeholders.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.  Section 253.1611, Election Code, is amended to
1-12     read as follows:
1-13           Sec. 253.1611.  CERTAIN CONTRIBUTIONS BY JUDICIAL CANDIDATES,
1-14     OFFICEHOLDERS, AND COMMITTEES RESTRICTED.  (a)  A judicial
1-15     candidate or officeholder or a specific-purpose committee for
1-16     supporting or opposing a judicial candidate or assisting a judicial
1-17     officeholder may not use a political contribution to knowingly make
1-18     political contributions that in the aggregate exceed $100 in a
1-19     calendar year to a candidate or officeholder.
1-20           (b)  A judicial candidate or a specific-purpose committee for
1-21     supporting or opposing a judicial candidate may not use a political
1-22     contribution to knowingly make political contributions to a
1-23     political committee in connection with a primary election.
1-24           (c)  A judicial candidate or a specific-purpose committee for
1-25     supporting or opposing a judicial candidate may not use a political
1-26     contribution to knowingly make a political contribution to a
1-27     political committee that, when aggregated with each other political
1-28     contribution to a political committee in connection with a general
1-29     election, exceeds $500.
1-30           (d)  A judicial officeholder or a specific-purpose committee
1-31     for assisting a judicial officeholder may not, in any calendar year
1-32     in which the office held is not on the ballot, use a political
1-33     contribution to knowingly make a political contribution to a
1-34     political committee that, when aggregated with each other political
1-35     contribution to a political committee in that calendar year,
1-36     exceeds $250 [in any calendar year in which the office held is not
1-37     on the ballot].
1-38           (e)  This section does not apply to a political contribution
1-39     made to the principal political committee of the state executive
1-40     committee or a county executive committee of a political party
1-41     that:
1-42                 (1)  is made in return for goods or services, including
1-43     political advertising or a campaign communication, the value of
1-44     which substantially equals or exceeds the amount of the
1-45     contribution; or
1-46                 (2)  is in an amount that is not more than the
1-47     candidate's or officeholder's pro rata share of the committee's
1-48     normal overhead and administrative or operating costs.
1-49           (f)  For purposes of Subsection (e)(2), a candidate's or
1-50     officeholder's pro rata share of a political committee's normal
1-51     overhead and administrative or operating costs is computed by
1-52     dividing the committee's estimated total expenses for a period by
1-53     the number of candidates and officeholders to whom the committee
1-54     reasonably expects to provide goods or services during that period.
1-55           (g)  A person who violates this section is liable for a civil
1-56     penalty not to exceed three times the amount of political
1-57     contributions used in violation of this section.
1-58           SECTION 2.  Section 253.1611, Election Code, as amended by
1-59     this Act, applies only to a political contribution made on or after
1-60     September 1, 2001.  A political contribution made before September
1-61     1, 2001, is governed by the law in effect at the time the
1-62     contribution was made.
1-63           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
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