Bill Text: TX HB371 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to certain restrictions on contributions and expenditures from political funds by a lobbyist; creating a criminal offense.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-02-21 - Referred to General Investigating & Ethics [HB371 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB371-Introduced.html
85R671 EES-D | ||
By: Howard | H.B. No. 371 |
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relating to certain restrictions on contributions and expenditures | ||
from political funds by a lobbyist; creating a criminal offense. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 253, Election Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 253.006 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 253.006. CERTAIN CONTRIBUTIONS AND EXPENDITURES BY | ||
LOBBYISTS RESTRICTED. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of | ||
law, a person required to register under Chapter 305, Government | ||
Code, may not, before the second anniversary of the date the last | ||
term for which the person was elected ends, knowingly make or | ||
authorize a political contribution or political expenditure from | ||
political contributions accepted by the person as a candidate or | ||
officeholder. | ||
(b) A person who violates this section commits an offense. | ||
An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor. | ||
SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 305, Government Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 305.029 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 305.029. EXPENDITURES FROM POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS | ||
RESTRICTED. (a) In this section, "political contribution" has the | ||
meaning assigned by Section 251.001, Election Code. | ||
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person | ||
required to register under this chapter may not, before the second | ||
anniversary of the date the last term for which the person was | ||
elected ends, knowingly make or authorize an expenditure under this | ||
chapter from political contributions accepted by the person as a | ||
candidate or officeholder. | ||
SECTION 3. Section 253.006, Election Code, as added by this | ||
Act, and Section 305.029, Government Code, as added by this Act, | ||
apply to a political contribution, political expenditure, or | ||
lobbying expenditure made on or after January 6, 2019, from funds | ||
accepted as a political contribution, regardless of the date the | ||
funds were accepted. | ||
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |