BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2629

By: Rogers

Elections

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Increased transparency is needed regarding the disclosure of direct campaign expenditures in campaign finance reports. H.B. 2629 seeks to provide greater transparency by requiring certain persons or political committees to report the name of any candidate or officeholder for whom a direct campaign expenditure is made to support or oppose.

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. 2629 amends the Election Code to replace the requirement for the campaign finance report filed by a candidate or an officeholder or by a political committee to include the name of each candidate or officeholder who benefits from a direct campaign expenditure made during the reporting period by the person or committee with the requirement for the report to include instead the name of each candidate or officeholder for whom such an expenditure was made to support or oppose during the reporting period. The bill applies only to a report that is required to be filed on or after the bill's effective date.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.