81R10995 ESH-F
 
  By: Davis, Wendy S.B. No. 2085
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the expenditure of funds for political advertising by a
  political subdivision.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 255.003, Election Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsections (d), (e),
  (f), and (g) to read as follows:
         (a)  An officer or employee of a political subdivision may
  not knowingly spend or authorize the spending of public funds for
  political advertising.
         (b)  This section does not apply to a communication that
  factually describes the purposes of a measure, including a
  description of the advantages or disadvantages of the measure, if
  the communication does not expressly advocate passage or defeat of
  the measure.
         (d)  An officer or employee of a political subdivision does
  not violate this section if the officer or employee employs, hires,
  or votes to hire a person whose conduct is found to violate this
  section if the officer or employee did not have prior knowledge of
  the person's intent to violate this section.
         (e)  It is an affirmative defense to prosecution for an
  offense under this section or the imposition of a civil penalty for
  conduct under this section that an officer or employee of a
  political subdivision reasonably relied on a court order or an
  interpretation of this section in a written opinion issued by:
               (1)  a court of record;
               (2)  the attorney general;
               (3)  the commission; or
               (4)  an attorney employed or retained by the political
  subdivision.
         (f)  Prosecution for an offense under this section may not be
  brought during the pendency of a complaint before the commission,
  or of an appeal from the commission's finding of a violation, that
  arises out of the same conduct.  The imposition by the commission
  of a civil penalty for conduct that violates this section bars
  prosecution for that conduct.
         (g)  On written request of the governing body of a political
  subdivision that has ordered an election on a measure, the
  commission shall prepare an advance written advisory opinion as to
  whether a particular communication relating to the measure does or
  does not comply with this section.
         SECTION 2.  Section 255.003, Election Code, as amended by
  this Act, applies to the prosecution of conduct committed before,
  on, or after September 1, 2009, as to which:
               (1)  judgment has not been entered or a sentence has not
  been imposed; or
               (2)  if judgment has been entered and a sentence
  imposed, an appeal is pending or the time for appeal has not
  expired.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.