By West S.B. No. 822
77R873 ESH-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the regulation of political contributions to judicial
1-3 candidates and officeholders.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 253, Election Code, is
1-6 amended by adding Section 253.1621 to read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 253.1621. APPLICATION OF CONTRIBUTION AND REIMBURSEMENT
1-8 LIMITS TO CERTAIN CANDIDATES. For purposes of a contribution limit
1-9 prescribed by Section 253.155, 253.157, or 253.160 and the limit on
1-10 reimbursement of personal funds prescribed by Section 253.162, the
1-11 general primary election and general election for state and county
1-12 officers are considered to be a single election in which a judicial
1-13 candidate is involved if the candidate:
1-14 (1) is unopposed in the primary election; or
1-15 (2) does not have an opponent in the general election
1-16 whose name is to appear on the ballot.
1-17 SECTION 2. Section 253.155(a), Election Code, is amended to
1-18 read as follows:
1-19 (a) Subject to Section 253.1621 [Except as provided by
1-20 Subsection (c)], a judicial candidate or officeholder may not,
1-21 except as provided by Subsection (c), knowingly accept political
1-22 contributions from a person that in the aggregate exceed the limits
1-23 prescribed by Subsection (b) in connection with each election in
1-24 which the person is involved.
2-1 SECTION 3. Section 253.157(a), Election Code, is amended to
2-2 read as follows:
2-3 (a) Subject to Section 253.1621, a [A] judicial candidate or
2-4 officeholder [or a specific-purpose committee for supporting or
2-5 opposing a judicial candidate] may not accept a political
2-6 contribution in excess of $50 from a person if:
2-7 (1) the person is a law firm, a member of a law firm,
2-8 or a general-purpose committee established or controlled by a law
2-9 firm; and
2-10 (2) the contribution when aggregated with all
2-11 political contributions accepted by the candidate or[,]
2-12 officeholder[, or committee] from the law firm, other members of
2-13 the law firm, or a general-purpose committee established or
2-14 controlled by the law firm in connection with the election would
2-15 exceed six times the applicable contribution limit under Section
2-16 253.155.
2-17 SECTION 4. Section 253.160(a), Election Code, is amended to
2-18 read as follows:
2-19 (a) Subject to Section 253.1621, a [A] judicial candidate or
2-20 officeholder [or a specific-purpose committee for supporting or
2-21 opposing a judicial candidate or assisting a judicial officeholder]
2-22 may not knowingly accept a political contribution from a
2-23 general-purpose committee that, when aggregated with each other
2-24 political contribution from a general-purpose committee in
2-25 connection with an election, exceeds 15 percent of the applicable
2-26 limit on expenditures prescribed by Section 253.168, regardless of
2-27 whether the limit on expenditures is suspended.
3-1 SECTION 5. Section 253.162(a), Election Code, is amended to
3-2 read as follows:
3-3 (a) Subject to Section 253.1621, a [A] judicial candidate or
3-4 officeholder who makes political expenditures from the person's
3-5 personal funds may not reimburse the personal funds from political
3-6 contributions in amounts that in the aggregate exceed, for each
3-7 election in which the person's name appears on the ballot:
3-8 (1) for a statewide judicial office, $100,000; or
3-9 (2) for an office other than a statewide judicial
3-10 office, five times the applicable contribution limit under Section
3-11 253.155.
3-12 SECTION 6. Sections 253.155, 253.157, 253.160, and 253.162,
3-13 Election Code, as amended by this Act, and Section 253.1621,
3-14 Election Code, as added by this Act, apply only to a political
3-15 contribution accepted on or after September 1, 2001. A political
3-16 contribution accepted before that date is governed by the law in
3-17 effect at the time the contribution was accepted and is not
3-18 aggregated with political contributions accepted on or after that
3-19 date.
3-20 SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.