Bill Text: TX HB2505 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to political contribution limits in connection with certain offices of state government.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-03-12 - Referred to Elections [HB2505 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-HB2505-Introduced.html
| 83R1789 ATP-D | ||
| By: Anchia | H.B. No. 2505 | |
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| relating to political contribution limits in connection with | ||
| certain offices of state government. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 253, Election Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 253.044 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 253.044. CONTRIBUTION LIMITS FOR CERTAIN OFFICES. (a) | ||
| In this section, "election cycle" means the period beginning on | ||
| January 1 of an odd-numbered year and ending on December 31 of the | ||
| following even-numbered year. | ||
| (b) This section applies to a candidate for or officeholder | ||
| of: | ||
| (1) a statewide office in the executive branch; | ||
| (2) the office of state senator; | ||
| (3) the office of state representative; or | ||
| (4) the office of member, State Board of Education. | ||
| (c) A person may not make political contributions to a | ||
| single candidate or officeholder that in the aggregate exceed | ||
| $100,000 in an election cycle. A candidate or officeholder may not | ||
| knowingly accept political contributions from a person that in the | ||
| aggregate exceed $100,000 in an election cycle. | ||
| (d) Notwithstanding Section 254.034, a person who receives | ||
| a political contribution that violates Subsection (c) shall return | ||
| the contribution to the contributor not later than the later of: | ||
| (1) the last day of the reporting period in which the | ||
| contribution is received; or | ||
| (2) the fifth day after the date the contribution is | ||
| received. | ||
| (e) For purposes of this section, a contribution made by the | ||
| child of an individual is considered to be a contribution by the | ||
| individual. In this subsection, "child" means a person younger | ||
| than 18 years of age who is not and has not been married or who has | ||
| not had the disabilities of minority removed for general purposes. | ||
| (f) A contribution made to a specific-purpose committee | ||
| supporting a candidate, opposing the candidate's opponent, or | ||
| assisting the candidate as an officeholder is considered to be a | ||
| contribution to the candidate for purposes of this section unless | ||
| the candidate files with the authority with whom the candidate's | ||
| campaign treasurer appointment is filed an affidavit stating that | ||
| the committee acts independently of the candidate. A candidate may | ||
| file a single affidavit for each committee and is not required to | ||
| file an affidavit for each contribution made to a committee. | ||
| (g) For purposes of this section, an expenditure by a | ||
| general-purpose committee for the purpose of supporting a | ||
| candidate, opposing the candidate's opponent, or assisting the | ||
| candidate as an officeholder is considered to be a contribution to | ||
| the candidate unless the campaign treasurer of the general-purpose | ||
| committee, in an affidavit filed with the authority with whom the | ||
| candidate's campaign treasurer appointment is required to be filed, | ||
| states that the committee has not directly or indirectly | ||
| communicated with the candidate's campaign, including the | ||
| candidate, an aide to the candidate, a campaign officer, or a | ||
| campaign consultant, or a specific-purpose committee in regard to a | ||
| strategic matter, including polling data, advertising, or voter | ||
| demographics, in connection with the candidate's campaign. | ||
| SECTION 2. Section 253.044, Election Code, as added by this | ||
| Act, applies only to a political contribution accepted on or after | ||
| the effective date of this Act. A political contribution accepted | ||
| before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in | ||
| effect on the date the contribution was accepted and is not | ||
| aggregated with political contributions accepted on or after the | ||
| effective date of this Act. | ||
| SECTION 3. 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, 2013. | ||
