By: Fallon S.B. No. 1874

(In the Senate - Filed March 7, 2019; March 18, 2019, read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs; May 10, 2019, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 10, 2019, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the timely filing of reports of political contributions and expenditures; increasing a criminal penalty.

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

SECTION 1. Section 254.041, Election Code, is amended by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows:

(b) Except as provided by Subsections (b-1) and [Subsection] (c), an offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor.

(b-1) A violation of Subsection (a)(1) is a Class B misdemeanor if it is shown on the trial of the offense that the person knowingly failed to file three or more consecutive reports under this chapter on time.

SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to a report required to be filed under Chapter 254, Election Code, on or after the effective date of this Act. A report required to be filed before the effective date of this Act is subject to the law in effect at the time the report was filed, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.

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