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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to restrictions on the name of a general-purpose political |
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committee; providing a criminal penalty. |
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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 252.003, Election Code, |
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is amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 252.003. CONTENTS OF APPOINTMENT BY GENERAL-PURPOSE |
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COMMITTEE; COMMITTEE NAME. |
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SECTION 2. Section 252.003, Election Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (e) to read as follows: |
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(e) The name of a general-purpose committee may not contain |
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the name of a political party without the political party's |
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permission. The commission shall determine whether the name of a |
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general-purpose committee is in violation of this prohibition and |
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shall immediately notify the campaign treasurer of the offending |
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committee of that determination. The campaign treasurer of the |
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committee must file a name change with the commission not later than |
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the 14th day after the date of notification. The commission shall |
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terminate the campaign treasurer appointment of a general-purpose |
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committee that continues to use a prohibited name after its |
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campaign treasurer has been notified by the commission, according |
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to the process adopted under Section 252.0131. |
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SECTION 3. Section 252.0131(a), Election Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) The commission by rule shall adopt a process by which |
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the commission may terminate the campaign treasurer appointment of |
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an inactive candidate or political committee that is required to |
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file a campaign treasurer appointment with the commission and by |
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which the commission shall terminate the campaign treasurer |
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appointment of a general-purpose committee that violates Section |
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252.003(e). The governing body of a political subdivision by |
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ordinance or order may adopt a process by which the clerk or |
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secretary, as applicable, of the political subdivision may |
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terminate the campaign treasurer appointment of an inactive |
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candidate or political committee that is required to file a |
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campaign treasurer appointment with the clerk or secretary. For |
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purposes of this section, a candidate or political committee is |
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inactive if the candidate or committee: |
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(1) has never filed or has ceased to file reports under |
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Chapter 254; |
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(2) in the case of a candidate, has not been elected to |
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an office for which a candidate is required to file a campaign |
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treasurer appointment with the authority who is seeking to |
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terminate the candidate's campaign treasurer appointment; and |
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(3) has not filed: |
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(A) a final report under Section 254.065 or |
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254.125; or |
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(B) a dissolution report under Section 254.126 or |
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254.159. |
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SECTION 4. Not later than January 1, 2016, the Texas Ethics |
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Commission shall determine whether the name of a general-purpose |
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political committee that filed a campaign treasurer appointment |
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before September 1, 2015, violates Section 252.003(e), Election |
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Code, as added by this Act, and shall notify the campaign treasurer |
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of the political committee of that determination. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |