BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2465

By: Davis, Sarah

General Investigating & Ethics

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties note a recent court decision holding that corporations and labor organizations may make political contributions and expenditures to certain political committees that make only direct campaign expenditures that are independent of any political campaign. H.B. 2465 seeks to codify this decision by authorizing a corporation or labor union to make a political contribution from its own property to such a committee.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2465 amends the Election Code to authorize a corporation or labor organization to make a political contribution from its own property to a political committee that is not established or controlled by a candidate or an officeholder; that makes or intends to make direct campaign expenditures; that does not make or intend to make political contributions to a candidate, to an officeholder, to a specific-purpose committee established or controlled by a candidate or an officeholder or to a political committee that makes or intends to make political contributions to a candidate, an officeholder, or a specific-purpose committee established or controlled by a candidate or an officeholder; and that has filed an affidavit with the Texas Ethics Commission stating the committee's intention to operate as described by the bill's provisions relating to direct campaign expenditures and political contributions by the committee.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.