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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the acceptance of political contributions by a member |
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of the Railroad Commission of Texas and of political contributions |
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made in connection with the office of railroad commissioner. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 81, Natural Resources |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 81.010045 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 81.010045. CERTAIN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS |
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RESTRICTED. (a) In this section, "political committee" and |
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"political contribution" have the meanings assigned by Section |
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251.001, Election Code. |
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(b) A commissioner may not knowingly accept a political |
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contribution given or offered with the intention that it be used in |
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connection with a campaign for or the holding of any elective |
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office, including the office of commissioner, except during the |
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period: |
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(1) beginning 17 months before the date of the next |
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general election at which the commissioner's office is filled; and |
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(2) ending on the 30th day after the date of that |
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election. |
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(c) A person other than a commissioner may not knowingly |
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accept a political contribution given or offered with the intention |
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that it be used in connection with a campaign for the office of |
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commissioner, except: |
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(1) during the period: |
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(A) beginning 17 months before the date of the |
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next general election at which any commissioner's office is filled; |
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and |
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(B) ending on the 30th day after the date of that |
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election; or |
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(2) during the period beginning on the date a vacancy |
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in the office of commissioner occurs and ending on the date that |
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vacancy is filled. |
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(d) A commissioner may not knowingly accept a political |
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contribution, and shall refuse a political contribution that is |
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received, from a party in a contested case before the commission or |
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a political committee affiliated with such a party during the |
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period: |
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(1) beginning on the date notice of the hearing in the |
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contested case is given; and |
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(2) ending on: |
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(A) the 30th day after the date the decision in |
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the contested case is rendered; or |
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(B) if a request for rehearing is filed: |
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(i) the date the request is denied; or |
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(ii) the 30th day after the date the |
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decision after rehearing is rendered. |
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(e) A commissioner shall return a political contribution |
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that is received and refused under Subsection (d) not later than the |
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30th day after the date the commissioner received the contribution. |
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(f) The commission shall adopt all rules necessary to |
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implement Subsections (d) and (e), including rules that: |
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(1) direct the commission to maintain a list of the |
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contested cases before the commission and the parties to each case |
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in order to aid the commissioners in complying with those |
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subsections; and |
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(2) ensure that each notice of a hearing in a contested |
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case that is issued by the commission or a commissioner contains |
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information about the political contributions prohibited under |
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Subsection (d). |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |