By: Goldman H.B. No. 2677

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to prohibiting certain expenditures from political contributions.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 305.029, Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

(a) In this section, "political contribution," "political committee," "specific-purpose committee," and "political expenditure" have the meanings assigned by Section 251.001, Election Code.

(b) [Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person required to register under this chapter may not, at any time following the date the last term for which the person was elected ends, knowingly make or authorize, from political contributions accepted by the person as a candidate or officeholder, a political expenditure that is a political contribution to another candidate, officeholder, or political committee.] A registrant, or a person on the registrant's behalf and with the registrant's consent or ratification, may not make or authorize, from political contributions described by Subsection (c), an expenditure required to be reported under this chapter.

(c) [This section does not prohibit a person from making a political contribution or political expenditure in support of the person's own candidacy.] This section applies to:

(1) political contributions accepted by the registrant as a candidate or officeholder;

(2) political contributions accepted by a specific-purpose committee supporting the registrant as a candidate or assisting the registrant as an officeholder; and

(3) political contributions accepted by a political committee, if the political committee accepted political contributions described by Subsections (c)(1) or (c)(2) in the immediately preceding two years.

SECTION 2. Section 253.035, Election Code, by adding Subsections (j) and (k) to read as follows:

(j) "Personal use" includes making a political expenditure that is a political contribution to a candidate, officeholder, or political committee, if:

(1) the political expenditure was made from political contributions accepted by an individual as a candidate or officeholder, or a specific-purpose committee for supporting the individual as a candidate or assisting the individual as an officeholder, if the individual is or was required to register as a lobbyist under Chapter 305, Government Code, within 24 months of the date of the expenditure; and

(2) the political expenditure was made after the earlier of:

(A) the date of an election in which the candidate or officeholder loses, if the candidate or officeholder was a losing candidate for election or re-election and will no longer be an officeholder;

(B) the date the officeholder resigns from office, if the officeholder resigns from office; or

(C) the date of the regular filing deadline for election to the same office the officeholder holds, if the officeholder does not file to become a candidate for election to that office or another office.

(k) Subsection (j) does not prohibit a person from making a political contribution or political expenditure in support of the person's own candidacy.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2019.