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Amend CSSB 655 (house committee printing) as follows:
(1) In SECTION 7 of the bill, strike added Section 81.010045(a), Natural Resources Code (page 3, lines 16-17) and substitute the following:
(a) In this section:
(1) "Election cycle" means the period beginning on January 1 of an odd-numbered year and ending on December 31 of the following even-numbered year.
(2) "Political contribution" and "specific-purpose committee" have the meanings assigned by Section 251.001, Election Code.
(2) In SECTION 7 of the bill, following added Section 81.010045, Natural Resources Code (page 4, between lines 15 and 16), insert the following:
(e) A commissioner or candidate for the office of commissioner may not, except as provided by Subsection (f), knowingly accept political contributions from a person that in the aggregate exceed $2,500 during an election cycle.
(f) If a candidate for the office of commissioner has an opponent in the primary election, the limits prescribed by Subsection (e) are doubled, except that the candidate may not accept political contributions that in the aggregate exceed $2,500:
(1) during the period beginning on the first day of the election cycle and ending on the day of the primary election; or
(2) during the period beginning on the day after the day of the primary election and ending on the last day of the election cycle.
(g) A commissioner or candidate for the office of commissioner who receives a political contribution that violates Subsection (e) shall return the contribution to the contributor not later than the later of:
(1) the last day of the reporting period, as prescribed by Chapter 254, Election Code, in which the contribution is received; or
(2) the fifth day after the date the contribution is received.
(h) For purposes of Subsection (e), a political contribution to a specific-purpose committee for the purpose of supporting a candidate for the office of commissioner, opposing the opponent of a candidate for the office of commissioner, or assisting a candidate for the office of commissioner as an officeholder is considered to be a contribution to the candidate.