BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 1379
85R7320 EES-F	By: Davis, Sarah (Buckingham)
	State Affairs
	5/18/2017
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Section 254.161, Election Code, requires a general-purpose committee other than certain committees affiliated with a political party to give notice of its political contributions or political expenditures on behalf of a candidate or officeholder to the affected candidate or officeholder.

Interested parties are concerned that out-of-state political committees that do not file a campaign treasurer appointment are not subject to the same reporting requirements applicable to general-purpose political committees in Texas. H.B. 1379 seeks to subject such out-of-state committees to certain general-purpose political committee reporting requirements.

H.B. 1379 amends current law relating to the reporting of political contributions and political expenditures by out-of-state political committees.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 251.005(d), Election Code, to require an out-of-state political committee that does not file a campaign treasurer appointment to comply with Sections 254.1581 (Reporting by Out-of-State Political Committee), 254.161, and 254.261 (Direct Campaign Expenditure Exceeding $100), rather than Section 254.1581.

SECTION 2. Amends Section 254.161, Election Code, to require an out-of-state political committee that is required to comply with this section to designate an officer of the committee to provide the notice of contributor and expenditures.

SECTION 3. Amends Section 254.261, Election Code, by adding Subsection (e), to provide that this section applies to an out-of-state political committee that does not file a campaign treasurer appointment.

SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 2017.