By:  Madden                                                       H.B. No. 3096



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the penalty for the failure to timely file a report of 
political contributions and expenditures with the Texas Ethics 
Commission.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 254.042(b), Election Code, is amended to 
read as follows:
	(b)  If a report is determined to be late, the person 
required to file the report is civilly liable to the state for the
[an] amount of [determined by commission rule, but not to exceed] 
$100 [for each day that the report is late].  If a report is more 
than seven [30] days late, the person is civilly liable to the state 
for $100 for each day after the seventh day that the report is late, 
except that a penalty imposed under this subsection may not:
		(1)  exceed a total of $50,000 for each report; or                     
		(2)  be increased after the date on which a person 
appeals or files an action to dispute a penalty imposed under this 
subsection [commission shall issue a warning of liability by 
registered mail to the person required to file the report.  If the 
penalty is not paid before the 10th day after the date on which the 
warning is received, the person is liable for a penalty in an amount 
determined by commission rule, but not to exceed $10,000].
	SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act to Section 
254.042, Election Code, applies only to a report required to be 
filed with the Texas Ethics Commission on or after September 1, 
2003.  A report filed before that date is governed by the law in 
effect at the time the report was filed, and the former law is 
continued in effect for that purpose.
	SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.