| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the making and acceptance of political contributions |
|
|
during a special legislative session; creating a criminal offense. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. The heading to Section 253.034, Election Code, |
|
|
is amended to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 253.034. RESTRICTIONS ON CONTRIBUTIONS DURING AND |
|
|
FOLLOWING [REGULAR] LEGISLATIVE SESSION. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Section 253.034, Election Code, is amended by |
|
|
adding Subsection (a-1) and amending Subsection (b) to read as |
|
|
follows: |
|
|
(a-1) During the period beginning on the date a special |
|
|
legislative session convenes and continuing through the date of |
|
|
final adjournment of the special legislative session, a person may |
|
|
not knowingly make a political contribution to a member of the |
|
|
legislature. |
|
|
(b) A statewide officeholder, a member of the legislature, |
|
|
or a specific-purpose committee for supporting, opposing, or |
|
|
assisting a statewide officeholder or member of the legislature may |
|
|
not knowingly accept a political contribution, and shall refuse a |
|
|
political contribution that is received, during an applicable [the] |
|
|
period prescribed by Subsection (a) or (a-1). A political |
|
|
contribution that is received and refused during that period shall |
|
|
be returned to the contributor not later than the 30th day after the |
|
|
date of receipt. A contribution made by United States mail or by |
|
|
common or contract carrier is not considered received during that |
|
|
period if it was properly addressed and placed with postage or |
|
|
carrier charges prepaid or prearranged in the mail or delivered to |
|
|
the contract carrier before the beginning of the period. The date |
|
|
indicated by the post office cancellation mark or the common or |
|
|
contract carrier documents is considered to be the date the |
|
|
contribution was placed in the mail or delivered to the common or |
|
|
contract carrier unless proven otherwise. |
|
|
SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
|
|
a political contribution made on or after the effective date of this |
|
|
Act. A political contribution made before the effective date of |
|
|
this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the |
|
|
contribution was made, and the former law is continued in effect for |
|
|
that purpose. |
|
|
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect December 1, 2017. |