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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to restrictions on the political activities of a county |
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clerk who administers elections; creating a criminal offense. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 31, Election Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 31.125 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 31.125. RESTRICTIONS ON POLITICAL ACTIVITIES OF COUNTY |
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CLERK WHO ADMINISTERS ELECTIONS. (a) This section applies only to |
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a county clerk of a county for which the position of county |
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elections administrator has not been created. |
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(b) A county clerk may not be a candidate for an office of a |
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political party or hold a position in a political party. |
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(c) A county clerk may not make a political contribution or |
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political expenditure, as defined by the law regulating political |
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funds and campaigns, or publicly support or oppose a candidate for |
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public office or a measure to be voted on at an election. This |
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subsection does not apply with respect to the county clerk's own |
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candidacy for a public office. |
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(d) A county clerk commits an offense if the clerk violates |
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this section. An offense under this subsection is a Class A |
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misdemeanor. |
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(e) In this section, "candidate" means a person who has |
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taken affirmative action, as described by the law regulating |
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political funds and campaigns, for the purpose of gaining |
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nomination or election. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |