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By: Martinez Fischer (Senate Sponsor - Ellis) |
H.B. No. 756 |
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(In the Senate - Received from the House May 6, 2009; |
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May 7, 2009, read first time and referred to Committee on State |
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Affairs; May 23, 2009, reported adversely, with favorable |
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Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; |
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May 23, 2009, sent to printer.) |
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COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 756 |
By: Van de Putte |
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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the making or acceptance of political contributions in |
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certain office buildings owned by or leased to the state. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 253.039, Election Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (a), (b), and (c) and adding Subsection (e) to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) A person may not knowingly make or authorize a political |
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contribution while in a state office building [the Capitol] to: |
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(1) a candidate or officeholder; |
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(2) a political committee; or |
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(3) a person acting on behalf of a candidate, |
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officeholder, or political committee. |
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(b) A candidate, officeholder, or political committee or a |
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person acting on behalf of a candidate, officeholder, or political |
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committee may not knowingly accept a political contribution, and |
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shall refuse a political contribution that is received, in a state |
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office building [the Capitol]. |
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(c) Subsections (a) and (b) apply to [This section does not
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prohibit] contributions made in a state office building [the
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Capitol] through the United States Postal Service or a common or |
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contract carrier. |
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(e) In this section, "state office building" means any |
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building owned or occupied by the state, including a building or |
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portion of a building leased to the state for state purposes, in |
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which an elected state officer maintains an office. The |
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prohibitions prescribed by Subsections (a) and (b) apply only to |
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the portion of the building used for state business. |
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SECTION 2. (a) Section 253.039, Election Code, as amended |
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by this Act, applies only to an offense committed on or after |
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September 1, 2009. For purposes of this section, an offense is |
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committed before the effective date of this Act if any element of |
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the offense occurs before that date. |
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(b) An offense committed before September 1, 2009, is |
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covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed, and the |
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former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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