Bill Text: TX HB220 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to restrictions on the name of a general-purpose political committee; providing a criminal penalty.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-23 - Left pending in committee [HB220 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HB220-Introduced.html
| 84R1312 ATP-D | ||
| By: Stephenson | H.B. No. 220 | |
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| relating to restrictions on the name of a general-purpose political | ||
| committee; providing a criminal penalty. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. The heading to Section 252.003, Election Code, | ||
| is amended to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 252.003. CONTENTS OF APPOINTMENT BY GENERAL-PURPOSE | ||
| COMMITTEE; COMMITTEE NAME. | ||
| SECTION 2. Section 252.003, Election Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Subsection (e) to read as follows: | ||
| (e) The name of a general-purpose committee may not contain | ||
| the name of a political party without the political party's | ||
| permission. The commission shall determine whether the name of a | ||
| general-purpose committee is in violation of this prohibition and | ||
| shall immediately notify the campaign treasurer of the offending | ||
| committee of that determination. The campaign treasurer of the | ||
| committee must file a name change with the commission not later than | ||
| the 14th day after the date of notification. The commission shall | ||
| terminate the campaign treasurer appointment of a general-purpose | ||
| committee that continues to use a prohibited name after its | ||
| campaign treasurer has been notified by the commission, according | ||
| to the process adopted under Section 252.0131. | ||
| SECTION 3. Section 252.0131(a), Election Code, is amended | ||
| to read as follows: | ||
| (a) The commission by rule shall adopt a process by which | ||
| the commission may terminate the campaign treasurer appointment of | ||
| an inactive candidate or political committee that is required to | ||
| file a campaign treasurer appointment with the commission and by | ||
| which the commission shall terminate the campaign treasurer | ||
| appointment of a general-purpose committee that violates Section | ||
| 252.003(e). The governing body of a political subdivision by | ||
| ordinance or order may adopt a process by which the clerk or | ||
| secretary, as applicable, of the political subdivision may | ||
| terminate the campaign treasurer appointment of an inactive | ||
| candidate or political committee that is required to file a | ||
| campaign treasurer appointment with the clerk or secretary. For | ||
| purposes of this section, a candidate or political committee is | ||
| inactive if the candidate or committee: | ||
| (1) has never filed or has ceased to file reports under | ||
| Chapter 254; | ||
| (2) in the case of a candidate, has not been elected to | ||
| an office for which a candidate is required to file a campaign | ||
| treasurer appointment with the authority who is seeking to | ||
| terminate the candidate's campaign treasurer appointment; and | ||
| (3) has not filed: | ||
| (A) a final report under Section 254.065 or | ||
| 254.125; or | ||
| (B) a dissolution report under Section 254.126 or | ||
| 254.159. | ||
| SECTION 4. Not later than January 1, 2016, the Texas Ethics | ||
| Commission shall determine whether the name of a general-purpose | ||
| political committee that filed a campaign treasurer appointment | ||
| before September 1, 2015, violates Section 252.003(e), Election | ||
| Code, as added by this Act, and shall notify the campaign treasurer | ||
| of the political committee of that determination. | ||
| SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. | ||
