88R553 TSS-D
 
  By: Middleton S.B. No. 1705
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to nominations by primary election by all political
  parties.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 161.005(b), Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (b)  For purposes of this section, a person becomes a
  candidate at the earliest time at which one of the following occurs:
               (1)  the person files:
                     (A)  a declaration of intent to run as an
  independent candidate;
                     (B)  an application for a place on a primary or
  general election ballot [or for nomination by a convention]; or
                     (C)  a declaration of write-in candidacy; or
               (2)  the person is nominated by an [a convention or]
  executive committee.
         SECTION 2.  Section 162.001(b), Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (b)  The affiliation requirement prescribed by Subsections
  (a)(2) and (3) applies only during a voting year in which the
  general election for state and county officers is held and does not
  apply until[:
               [(1)]  general primary election day[, for a party
  holding a primary election; or
               [(2)  the date of the precinct conventions held under
  this title, for a party nominating by convention].
         SECTION 3.  Section 162.006, Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 162.006.  AFFILIATION BY TAKING OATH. A person becomes
  affiliated with a political party when the person takes an oath of
  affiliation as provided by Section [162.007 or] 162.008.
         SECTION 4.  Section 162.017(e), Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (e)  The preregistration process must include the statement
  described by Section 162.004(a) and require a preregistering
  attendee to affiliate with the party by taking the oath described in
  Section 162.006 [162.007(b)].
         SECTION 5.  Section 172.001, Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 172.001.  NOMINATING BY PRIMARY ELECTION REQUIRED.
  Except as otherwise provided by this code, a political party's
  nominees in the general election for offices of state and county
  government and the United States Congress must be nominated by
  primary election, held as provided by this code[, if the party's
  nominee for governor in the most recent gubernatorial general
  election received 20 percent or more of the total number of votes
  received by all candidates for governor in the election].
         SECTION 6.  Section 202.006(a), Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  A political party's state, district, county, or
  precinct executive committee, as appropriate for the particular
  office, may nominate a candidate for the unexpired term if[:
               [(1)  in the case of a party holding a primary
  election,] the vacancy occurs after the fifth day before the date of
  the regular deadline for candidates to file applications for a
  place on the ballot for the general primary election[; or
               [(2)  in the case of a party nominating by convention,
  the vacancy occurs after the fourth day before the date the
  convention having the power to make a nomination for the office
  convenes].
         SECTION 7.  Section 204.004, Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 204.004.  NOMINATION FOR VACANCY FILLED AT GENERAL
  ELECTION. A nomination by a political party for an unexpired term
  to be filled at the general election for state and county officers
  is made in the manner prescribed by Section 202.004 [or 202.005, as
  applicable].
         SECTION 8.  Section 251.001(1), Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
               (1)  "Candidate" means a person who knowingly and
  willingly takes affirmative action for the purpose of gaining
  nomination or election to public office or for the purpose of
  satisfying financial obligations incurred by the person in
  connection with the campaign for nomination or election. Examples
  of affirmative action include:
                     (A)  the filing of a campaign treasurer
  appointment, except that the filing does not constitute candidacy
  or an announcement of candidacy for purposes of the automatic
  resignation provisions of Article XVI, Section 65, or Article XI,
  Section 11, of the Texas Constitution;
                     (B)  the filing of an application for a place on a
  ballot;
                     (C)  [the filing of an application for nomination
  by convention;
                     [(D)]  the filing of a declaration of intent to
  become an independent candidate or a declaration of write-in
  candidacy;
                     (D) [(E)]  the making of a public announcement of
  a definite intent to run for public office in a particular election,
  regardless of whether the specific office is mentioned in the
  announcement;
                     (E) [(F)]  before a public announcement of
  intent, the making of a statement of definite intent to run for
  public office and the soliciting of support by letter or other mode
  of communication;
                     (F) [(G)]  the soliciting or accepting of a
  campaign contribution or the making of a campaign expenditure; and
                     (G) [(H)]  the seeking of the nomination of an
  executive committee of a political party to fill a vacancy.
         SECTION 9.  Sections 253.153(a) and (b), Election Code, are
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  A judicial candidate or officeholder, a
  specific-purpose committee for supporting or opposing a judicial
  candidate, or a specific-purpose committee for assisting a judicial
  officeholder may not knowingly accept a political contribution
  except during the period:
               (1)  beginning on:
                     (A)  the 210th day before the date an application
  for a place on the ballot [or for nomination by convention] for the
  office is required to be filed, if the election is for a full term;
  or
                     (B)  the later of the 210th day before the date an
  application for a place on the ballot [or for nomination by
  convention] for the office is required to be filed or the date a
  vacancy in the office occurs, if the election is for an unexpired
  term; and
               (2)  ending on the 120th day after the date of the
  election in which the candidate or officeholder last appeared on
  the ballot, regardless of whether the candidate or officeholder has
  an opponent in that election.
         (b)  Subsection (a)(2) does not apply to a political
  contribution that was made and accepted with the intent that it be
  used to defray expenses incurred in connection with an election,
  including the repayment of any debt that is:
               (1)  incurred directly by the making of a campaign
  expenditure during the period beginning on the date the application
  for a place on the ballot [or for nomination by convention] was
  required to be filed for the election in which the candidate last
  appeared on the ballot and ending on the date of that election; and
               (2)  subject to the restrictions prescribed by Sections
  253.162 and 253.1621.
         SECTION 10.  Section 571.079(a), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  Not later than the 15th day after the date on which an
  application for a place on the general primary election ballot [or
  for nomination by convention] is required to be filed, the
  commission shall post on its Internet website:
               (1)  the name and address of each candidate for an
  office specified by Section 252.005(1), Election Code, who has
  failed to pay a civil penalty imposed by the commission for failure
  to file with the commission a required report or statement under
  Chapter 254, Election Code, or Chapter 572; and
               (2)  for each candidate listed under Subdivision (1),
  the amount of the penalty imposed and the amount paid, if any.
         SECTION 11.  The following provisions of the Election Code
  are repealed:
               (1)  Section 162.007;
               (2)  Section 162.016;
               (3)  Section 172.002;
               (4)  Section 202.005; and
               (5)  Subtitle C, Title 10.
         SECTION 12.  The changes in law made by this Act apply
  beginning with nominations made for an election held on or after
  January 1, 2024.
         SECTION 13.  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, 2023.