79(R) HB 1664 - House Committee Report version


                                                                                
79R14229 ATP-D


By:  Harper-Brown, et al.                                         H.B. No. 1664

Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1664:                                   

By:  Hughes                                                   C.S.H.B. No. 1664



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the reporting of political contributions and 
expenditures by certain political committees.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subchapter F, Chapter 254, Election Code, is 
amended by adding Sections 254.1531 and 254.1541 to read as 
follows:
	Sec. 254.1531.  ANNUAL REPORTING FOR CERTAIN COMMITTEES.  
(a)  The campaign treasurer of a general-purpose committee may file 
an annual report under this section if the committee does not intend 
to accept political contributions in a calendar year that in the 
aggregate exceed $10,000 or to make political expenditures in a 
calendar year that in the aggregate exceed $10,000.
	(b)  To be entitled to file reports under this section, the 
campaign treasurer of a general-purpose committee must file with 
the commission a written declaration of intent not to exceed 
$10,000 in political contributions or political expenditures in a 
calendar year.  The declaration of intent must contain a statement 
that the committee understands that if the $10,000 maximum for 
contributions and expenditures is exceeded, the committee is 
required to file reports under Sections 254.153 and 254.154.
	(c)  A report filed under this section shall be filed not 
later than January 15.  The report covers the period beginning 
January 1 of the preceding calendar year, the day the committee's 
campaign treasurer appointment is filed, or the first day after the 
period covered by the last report required to be filed under this 
subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through December 31.
	(d)  If the committee exceeds $10,000 in political 
contributions or political expenditures before June 30, the 
committee shall file semiannual reports as required by Section 
254.153.
	(e)  If the committee exceeds $10,000 in political 
contributions or political expenditures after June 30, the 
committee shall file a report not later than the later of July 15 or 
48 hours after the maximum is exceeded.  A report filed under this 
subsection covers the period beginning the first day of the 
reporting period, as determined under Subsection (c), and 
continuing through the day the maximum is exceeded.  The reporting 
period for the next report filed by the committee begins on the day 
after the last day of the period covered by the report filed under 
this subsection.
	Sec. 254.1541.  ALTERNATE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR 
CERTAIN COMMITTEES.  (a)  This section applies only to a 
general-purpose committee with less than $20,000 in one or more 
accounts maintained by the committee in which political 
contributions are deposited, as of the last day of the preceding 
reporting period for which the committee was required to file a 
report.
	(b)  A report by a campaign treasurer of a general-purpose 
committee to which this section applies may include, instead of the 
information required under Sections 254.031(a)(1) and (5) and 
Section 254.151(6):
		(1)  the amount of political contributions from each 
person that in the aggregate exceed $100 and that are accepted 
during the reporting period by the committee, the full name and 
address of the person making the contributions, the person's 
principal occupation, and the dates of the contributions; and
		(2)  the total amount or a specific listing of the 
political contributions of $100 or less accepted and the total 
amount or a specific listing of the political expenditures of $100 
or less made during the reporting period.
	SECTION 2.  Section 254.156, Election Code, is amended to 
read as follows:   
	Sec. 254.156.  CONTENTS OF MONTHLY REPORTS.  Each monthly 
report filed under this subchapter must comply with Sections 
254.031 and 254.151 except that the maximum amount of a political 
contribution, expenditure, or loan that is not required to be 
individually reported is:
		(1)  $10 in the aggregate; or                                   
		(2)  $20 in the aggregate for a contribution accepted 
by a general-purpose committee to which Section 254.1541 applies.
	SECTION 3.  The changes in law made by Section 254.1541, 
Election Code, as added by this Act, and Section 254.156, Election 
Code, as amended by this Act, apply only to a report of political 
contributions and expenditures that is required to be filed on or 
after September 1, 2005.  A report of contributions and 
expenditures that is required to be filed before September 1, 2005, 
is governed by the law in effect on the date the report is required 
to be filed, and the former law is continued in effect for that 
purpose.
	SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.