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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to prohibiting certain expenditures from political |
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contributions. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 305.029, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) In this section, "political contribution," "political |
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committee," "specific-purpose committee," and "political |
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expenditure" have the meanings assigned by Section 251.001, |
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Election Code. |
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(b) [Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person
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required to register under this chapter may not, at any time
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following the date the last term for which the person was elected
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ends, knowingly make or authorize, from political contributions
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accepted by the person as a candidate or officeholder, a political
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expenditure that is a political contribution to another candidate,
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officeholder, or political committee.] A registrant, or a person |
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on the registrant's behalf and with the registrant's consent or |
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ratification, may not make or authorize, from political |
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contributions described by Subsection (c), an expenditure required |
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to be reported under this chapter. |
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(c) [This section does not prohibit a person from making a
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political contribution or political expenditure in support of the
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person's own candidacy.] This section applies to: |
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(1) political contributions accepted by the |
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registrant as a candidate or officeholder; |
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(2) political contributions accepted by a |
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specific-purpose committee supporting the registrant as a |
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candidate or assisting the registrant as an officeholder; and |
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(3) political contributions accepted by a political |
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committee, if the political committee accepted political |
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contributions described by Subsections (c)(1) or (c)(2) in the |
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immediately preceding two years. |
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SECTION 2. Section 253.035, Election Code, by adding |
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Subsections (j) and (k) to read as follows: |
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(j) "Personal use" includes making a political expenditure |
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that is a political contribution to a candidate, officeholder, or |
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political committee, if: |
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(1) the political expenditure was made from political |
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contributions accepted by an individual as a candidate or |
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officeholder, or a specific-purpose committee for supporting the |
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individual as a candidate or assisting the individual as an |
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officeholder, if the individual is or was required to register as a |
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lobbyist under Chapter 305, Government Code, within 24 months of |
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the date of the expenditure; and |
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(2) the political expenditure was made after the |
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earlier of: |
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(A) the date of an election in which the |
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candidate or officeholder loses, if the candidate or officeholder |
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was a losing candidate for election or re-election and will no |
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longer be an officeholder; |
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(B) the date the officeholder resigns from |
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office, if the officeholder resigns from office; or |
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(C) the date of the regular filing deadline for |
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election to the same office the officeholder holds, if the |
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officeholder does not file to become a candidate for election to |
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that office or another office. |
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(k) Subsection (j) does not prohibit a person from making a |
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political contribution or political expenditure in support of the |
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person's own candidacy. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |