88R3872 CJD-D
 
  By: Anchía H.B. No. 4787
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the acceptance of political contributions by a member
  of the Railroad Commission of Texas and of political contributions
  made in connection with the office of railroad commissioner.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 81, Natural Resources
  Code, is amended by adding Section 81.010045 to read as follows:
         Sec. 81.010045.  CERTAIN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS
  RESTRICTED. (a)  In this section, "political committee" and
  "political contribution" have the meanings assigned by Section
  251.001, Election Code.
         (b)  A commissioner may not knowingly accept a political
  contribution given or offered with the intention that it be used in
  connection with a campaign for or the holding of any elective
  office, including the office of commissioner, except during the
  period:
               (1)  beginning 17 months before the date of the next
  general election at which the commissioner's office is filled; and
               (2)  ending on the 30th day after the date of that
  election.
         (c)  A person other than a commissioner may not knowingly
  accept a political contribution given or offered with the intention
  that it be used in connection with a campaign for the office of
  commissioner, except:
               (1)  during the period:
                     (A)  beginning 17 months before the date of the
  next general election at which any commissioner's office is filled;
  and
                     (B)  ending on the 30th day after the date of that
  election; or
               (2)  during the period beginning on the date a vacancy
  in the office of commissioner occurs and ending on the date that
  vacancy is filled.
         (d)  A commissioner may not knowingly accept a political
  contribution, and shall refuse a political contribution that is
  received, from a party in a contested case before the commission or
  a political committee affiliated with such a party during the
  period:
               (1)  beginning on the date notice of the hearing in the
  contested case is given; and
               (2)  ending on:
                     (A)  the 30th day after the date the decision in
  the contested case is rendered; or
                     (B)  if a request for rehearing is filed:
                           (i)  the date the request is denied; or
                           (ii)  the 30th day after the date the
  decision after rehearing is rendered.
         (e)  A commissioner shall return a political contribution
  that is received and refused under Subsection (d) not later than the
  30th day after the date the commissioner received the contribution.
         (f)  The commission shall adopt rules necessary to implement
  Subsections (d) and (e), including rules that:
               (1)  direct the commission to maintain a list of the
  contested cases before the commission and the parties to each case
  in order to aid the commissioners in complying with those
  subsections; and
               (2)  ensure that each notice of a hearing in a contested
  case that is issued by the commission or a commissioner contains
  information about the political contributions prohibited under
  Subsection (d).
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.