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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to contributions and expenditures of and contribution and |
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expenditure reports filed by specific-purpose political |
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committees; providing civil and criminal penalties. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. The heading to Section 253.037, Election Code, |
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is amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 253.037. RESTRICTIONS ON CONTRIBUTION OR EXPENDITURE |
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BY POLITICAL [GENERAL-PURPOSE] COMMITTEE. |
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SECTION 2. Section 253.037(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) A political [general-purpose] committee may not |
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knowingly make or authorize a political contribution or political |
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expenditure unless the committee has: |
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(1) filed its campaign treasurer appointment not later |
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than the 60th day before the date the contribution or expenditure is |
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made; and |
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(2) accepted political contributions from at least 10 |
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persons. |
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SECTION 3. Subchapter E, Chapter 254, Election Code, is |
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amended by adding Sections 254.1241 through 254.1244 to read as |
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follows: |
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Sec. 254.1241. OPTION TO FILE MONTHLY; NOTICE. (a) As an |
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alternative to filing reports under Sections 254.123 and 254.124, a |
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specific-purpose committee may file monthly reports. |
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(b) To be entitled to file monthly reports, the committee |
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must deliver written notice of the committee's intent to file |
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monthly to the authority with whom the committee's reports are |
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required to be filed under this subchapter not earlier than January |
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1 or later than January 15 of the year in which the committee |
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intends to file monthly. The notice for a committee formed after |
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January 15 must be delivered at the time the committee's campaign |
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treasurer appointment is filed. |
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(c) A committee that files monthly reports may revert to the |
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regular filing schedule prescribed by Sections 254.123 and 254.124 |
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by delivering written notice of the committee's intent not earlier |
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than January 1 or later than January 15 of the year in which the |
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committee intends to revert to the regular reporting schedule. The |
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notice must include a report of all political contributions |
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accepted and all political expenditures made that were not |
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previously reported. |
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Sec. 254.1242. CONTENTS OF MONTHLY REPORTS. Each monthly |
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report filed under this subchapter must comply with Sections |
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254.031 and 254.121 except that the maximum amount of a political |
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contribution, expenditure, or loan that is not required to be |
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individually reported is $10 in the aggregate. |
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Sec. 254.1243. MONTHLY REPORTING SCHEDULE. (a) The |
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campaign treasurer of a specific-purpose committee filing monthly |
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reports shall file a report not later than the fifth day of the |
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month following the period covered by the report. A report covering |
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the month preceding an election in which the committee is involved |
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must be received by the authority with whom the report is required |
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to be filed not later than the fifth day of the month following the |
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period covered by the report. |
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(b) A monthly report covers the period beginning the 26th |
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day of each month and continuing through the 25th day of the |
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following month, except that the period covered by the first report |
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begins January 1 and continues through January 25. |
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Sec. 254.1244. EXCEPTION TO MONTHLY REPORTING SCHEDULE. If |
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the campaign treasurer appointment of a specific-purpose committee |
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filing monthly reports is filed after January 1 of the year in which |
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monthly reports are filed, the period covered by the first monthly |
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report begins the day the appointment is filed and continues |
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through the 25th day of the month in which the appointment is filed |
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unless the appointment is filed the 25th or a succeeding day of the |
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month. In that case, the period continues through the 25th day of |
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the month following the month in which the appointment is filed. |
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SECTION 4. Section 253.037(a), Election Code, as amended by |
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this Act, applies only to a political contribution or political |
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expenditure made on or after September 1, 2013. A contribution or |
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expenditure made before September 1, 2013, is governed by the law in |
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effect on the date the contribution or expenditure was made, and the |
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former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 5. The changes in law made by Sections 254.1241 |
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through 254.1244, Election Code, as added by this Act, apply only to |
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a report of political contributions and expenditures that is |
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required to be filed on or after September 1, 2013. A report of |
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contributions and expenditures that is required to be filed before |
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September 1, 2013, is governed by the law in effect on the date the |
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report is required to be filed, and the former law is continued in |
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effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |