84R9263 ATP-F
 
  By: Turner of Tarrant H.B. No. 1787
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the regulation of political contributions and
  expenditures.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 251.001, Election Code, is amended by
  adding Subdivision (21) to read as follows:
               (21)  "In-kind contribution" means a contribution of
  goods, services, or any other thing of value, except money.
         SECTION 2.  Sections 252.0011(c) and (d), Election Code, are
  amended to read as follows:
         (c)  Subsection (a) does not apply to a person if, in any
  quarterly [semiannual] reporting period prescribed by Chapter 254:
               (1)  the political committee in connection with which
  the person's ineligibility arose did not accept political
  contributions that in the aggregate exceed $2,500 [$5,000] or make
  political expenditures that in the aggregate exceed $2,500 
  [$5,000]; and
               (2)  the candidate who or political committee that
  subsequently appoints the person does not accept political
  contributions that in the aggregate exceed $2,500 [$5,000] or make
  political expenditures that in the aggregate exceed $2,500 
  [$5,000].
         (d)  Subsection (c) applies to a person who is the campaign
  treasurer of a general-purpose committee regardless of whether the
  committee files monthly reports under Section 254.155. For
  purposes of this subsection, political contributions accepted and
  political expenditures made during a monthly reporting period are
  aggregated with political contributions accepted and political
  expenditures made in each other monthly reporting period that
  corresponds to the quarterly [semiannual] reporting period that
  contains those months.
         SECTION 3.  Section 254.031, Election Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (c) to read as
  follows:
         (a)  Except as otherwise provided by this chapter, each
  report filed under this chapter must include:
               (1)  the amount of political contributions from each
  person that in the aggregate exceed $50 and that are accepted during
  the reporting period by the person or committee required to file a
  report under this chapter, the full name and address of the person
  making the contributions, and the dates of the contributions;
               (2)  the amount of loans that are made during the
  reporting period for campaign or officeholder purposes to the
  person or committee required to file the report and that in the
  aggregate exceed $50, the dates the loans are made, the interest
  rate, the maturity date, the type of collateral for the loans, if
  any, the full name and address of the person or financial
  institution making the loans, the full name and address, principal
  occupation, and name of the employer of each guarantor of the loans,
  the amount of the loans guaranteed by each guarantor, and the
  aggregate principal amount of all outstanding loans as of the last
  day of the reporting period;
               (3)  the amount of political expenditures that in the
  aggregate exceed $100 and that are made during the reporting
  period, the full name and address of the persons to whom the
  expenditures are made, and the dates and purposes of the
  expenditures;
               (4)  the amount of each payment made during the
  reporting period from a political contribution if the payment is
  not a political expenditure, the full name and address of the person
  to whom the payment is made, and the date and purpose of the
  payment;
               (5)  the total amount or a specific listing of the
  political contributions of $50 or less accepted and the total
  amount or a specific listing of the political expenditures of $100
  or less made during the reporting period;
               (6)  the total amount of all political contributions
  accepted and the total amount of all political expenditures made
  during the reporting period;
               (7)  the name of each candidate or officeholder who
  benefits from a direct campaign expenditure made during the
  reporting period by the person or committee required to file the
  report, and the office sought or held, excluding a direct campaign
  expenditure that is made by the principal political committee of a
  political party on behalf of a slate of two or more nominees of that
  party;
               (8)  as of the last day of a reporting period for which
  the person is required to file a report, the difference obtained
  from subtracting any payment for a political expenditure made
  through a negotiable instrument, credit card, or similar method
  that has not yet been processed from the total amount of political
  contributions accepted and deposited, including interest or other
  income on those contributions, maintained in one or more accounts
  in which political contributions are deposited as of the last day of
  the reporting period;
               (9)  any credit, interest, rebate, refund,
  reimbursement, or return of a deposit fee resulting from the use of
  a political contribution or an asset purchased with a political
  contribution that is received during the reporting period and the
  amount of which exceeds $100;
               (10)  any proceeds of the sale of an asset purchased
  with a political contribution that is received during the reporting
  period and the amount of which exceeds $100;
               (11)  any investment purchased with a political
  contribution that is received during the reporting period and the
  amount of which exceeds $100;
               (12)  any other gain from a political contribution that
  is received during the reporting period and the amount of which
  exceeds $100; [and]
               (13)  the full name and address of each person from whom
  an amount described by Subdivision (9), (10), (11), or (12) is
  received, the date the amount is received, and the purpose for which
  the amount is received;
               (14)  the amount of in-kind political contributions
  from each person that in the aggregate exceed $50 and that are used
  or expended during the reporting period and the date and purpose of
  such use or expenditure; and
               (15)  the amount of each bill or invoice that has been
  assessed but for which payment has not yet been made.
         (c)  For purposes of Subsections (a)(3) and (4), the date of
  an expenditure or payment made with a credit card is the date of the
  purchase.
         SECTION 4.  Section 254.0401(a), Election Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  The commission shall make each report filed with the
  commission under Section 254.036(b) available to the public on the
  Internet as soon as practicable after [not later than the second
  business day after the date] the report is filed.
         SECTION 5.  Section 254.0405, Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 254.0405.  AMENDMENT OF FILED REPORT. (a)  A person
  who files a quarterly or semiannual report under this chapter may
  amend the report.
         (b)  A quarterly or semiannual report that is amended before
  the eighth day after the date the original report was filed is
  considered to have been filed on the date on which the original
  report was filed.
         (c)  A quarterly or semiannual report that is amended on or
  after the eighth day after the original report was filed is
  considered to have been filed on the date on which the original
  report was filed if:
               (1)  the amendment is made before any complaint is
  filed with regard to the subject of the amendment; and
               (2)  the original report was made in good faith and
  without an intent to mislead or to misrepresent the information
  contained in the report.
         SECTION 6.  Section 254.041(d), Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (d)  It is an exception to the application of Subsection
  (a)(3) that:
               (1)  the information was required to be included in a
  quarterly or semiannual report; and
               (2)  the person amended the report within the time
  prescribed by Section 254.0405(b) or under the circumstances
  described by Section 254.0405(c).
         SECTION 7.  Section 254.063, Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 254.063.  QUARTERLY [SEMIANNUAL] REPORTING SCHEDULE
  FOR CANDIDATE. (a) A candidate shall file four [two] reports for
  each year as provided by this section.
         (b)  The first report shall be filed not later than April
  [July] 15. The report covers the period beginning January 1, the
  day the candidate's campaign treasurer appointment is filed, or the
  first day after the period covered by the last report required to be
  filed under this subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through
  March 31 [June 30].
         (c)  The second report shall be filed not later than July
  [January] 15. The report covers the period beginning April [July]
  1, the day the candidate's campaign treasurer appointment is filed,
  or the first day after the period covered by the last report
  required to be filed under this subchapter, as applicable, and
  continuing through June 30 [December 31].
         (d)  The third report shall be filed not later than October
  15. The report covers the period beginning July 1, the day the
  candidate's campaign treasurer appointment is filed, or the first
  day after the period covered by the last report required to be filed
  under this subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through
  September 30.
         (e)  The fourth report shall be filed not later than January
  15. The report covers the period beginning October 1, the day the
  candidate's campaign treasurer appointment is filed, or the first
  day after the period covered by the last report required to be filed
  under this subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through
  December 31.
         SECTION 8.  Section 254.123, Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 254.123.  QUARTERLY [SEMIANNUAL] REPORTING SCHEDULE
  FOR COMMITTEE. (a) The campaign treasurer of a specific-purpose
  committee shall file four [two] reports for each year as provided by
  this section.
         (b)  The first report shall be filed not later than April
  [July] 15. The report covers the period beginning January 1, the
  day the committee's campaign treasurer appointment is filed, or the
  first day after the period covered by the last report required to be
  filed under this subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through
  March 31 [June 30].
         (c)  The second report shall be filed not later than July
  [January] 15. The report covers the period beginning April [July]
  1, the day the committee's campaign treasurer appointment is filed,
  or the first day after the period covered by the last report
  required to be filed under this subchapter, as applicable, and
  continuing through June 30 [December 31].
         (d)  The third report shall be filed not later than October
  15. The report covers the period beginning July 1, the day the
  committee's campaign treasurer appointment is filed, or the first
  day after the period covered by the last report required to be filed
  under this subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through
  September 30.
         (e)  The fourth report shall be filed not later than January
  15. The report covers the period beginning October 1, the day the
  committee's campaign treasurer appointment is filed, or the first
  day after the period covered by the last report required to be filed
  under this subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through
  December 31.
         SECTION 9.  Section 254.153, Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 254.153.  QUARTERLY [SEMIANNUAL] REPORTING SCHEDULE
  FOR COMMITTEE. (a) The campaign treasurer of a general-purpose
  committee shall file four [two] reports for each year as provided by
  this section.
         (b)  The first report shall be filed not later than April
  [July] 15. The report covers the period beginning January 1, the
  day the committee's campaign treasurer appointment is filed, or the
  first day after the period covered by the last report required to be
  filed under this subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through
  March 31 [June 30].
         (c)  The second report shall be filed not later than July
  [January] 15. The report covers the period beginning April [July]
  1, the day the committee's campaign treasurer appointment is filed,
  or the first day after the period covered by the last report
  required to be filed under this subchapter, as applicable, and
  continuing through June 30 [December 31].
         (d)  The third report shall be filed not later than October
  15. The report covers the period beginning July 1, the day the
  committee's campaign treasurer appointment is filed, or the first
  day after the period covered by the last report required to be filed
  under this subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through
  September 30.
         (e)  The fourth report shall be filed not later than January
  15. The report covers the period beginning October 1, the day the
  committee's campaign treasurer appointment is filed, or the first
  day after the period covered by the last report required to be filed
  under this subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through
  December 31.
         SECTION 10.  Section 254.184(b), Election Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (b)  A candidate or committee filing under this subchapter is
  not required to file any reports of political contributions and
  political expenditures other than the quarterly [semiannual]
  reports required to be filed not later than April 15, July 15,
  October 15, and January 15.
         SECTION 11.  Section 254.0401(f), Election Code, is
  repealed.
         SECTION 12.  This Act takes effect January 1, 2016.