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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to political expenditures made by a corporation or labor |
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organization to finance the establishment and administration of a |
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political committee. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 253.100, Election Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (d), (e), and (f) to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) A corporation, acting alone or with one or more other |
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corporations, may make one or more political expenditures to |
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finance the establishment or administration of a general-purpose |
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committee. In addition to any other expenditure that is considered |
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permissible under this section, an expenditure for the maintenance |
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and operation of a general-purpose committee is permissible, |
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including an expenditure for: |
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(1) office space; |
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(2) telephones; |
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(3) office equipment; |
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(4) utilities; |
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(5) general office and meeting supplies; |
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(6) salaries for clerical or administrative |
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assistance necessary for the proper administrative operation of the |
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committee; |
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(7) legal and accounting fees for the committee's |
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compliance with this title; |
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(8) routine administrative expenses incurred in |
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establishing and administering a general-purpose political |
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committee; |
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(9) meetings of the committee's governing body to |
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interview candidates and make endorsements relating to the |
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committee's support; |
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(10) political consulting for determining |
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endorsements; |
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(11) the recording of committee decisions; or |
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(12) the preparation and delivery of committee |
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contributions. |
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(d) A corporation or labor organization may not make |
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expenditures under this section for: |
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(1) political consulting to support or oppose a |
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candidate; |
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(2) telephone banks to communicate with voters to |
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support or oppose a candidate; |
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(3) brochures and direct mail supporting or opposing a |
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canidate; |
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(4) partisan voter registration and partisan |
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get-out-the-vote drives; |
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(5) political fund-raising; |
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(6) voter identification, lists, or databases; |
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(7) polling designed to support or oppose a candidate; |
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or |
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(8) recruiting candidates. |
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(e) In issuing an advisory opinion under Subchapter D, |
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Chapter 571, Government Code, on the question of whether a |
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political expenditure is for the establishment or administration of |
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a general-purpose committee, the commission may consider relevant |
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federal election laws and opinions for guidance. |
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(f) Subsection (d) does not apply to a corporation or labor |
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organization making an expenditure to communicate with its |
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stockholders or members, as applicable, or with the families of its |
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stockholders or members under Section 253.098. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |
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SECTION 3. The clarification in law made by this Act applies |
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only to expenditures made under 253.100, Election Code on or after |
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the effective date of this Act. Any expenditure made under Section |
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253.100, Election Code, before the effective date of this Act, is |
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governed by the law in effect at the time the expenditures is made, |
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and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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* * * * * |