Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas House Bill HB3924 Compare Versions

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Old	New	Differences
1	1	81R21187 ESH-F
2	2	By: Pea, Naishtat H.B. No. 3924
3	3	Substitute the following for H.B. No. 3924:
4	4	By: Bonnen C.S.H.B. No. 3924
5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the provision of assistance by the Texas Ethics
10	10	Commission in the reporting of political contributions and
11	11	expenditures made in connection with offices of and measures
12	12	proposed by local governmental entities.
13	13	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
14	14	SECTION 1. Chapter 571, Government Code, is amended by
15	15	adding Subchapter G to read as follows:
16	16	SUBCHAPTER G. REPORTING OF POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND
17	17	EXPENDITURES RELATED TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES AND OFFICERS
18	18	Sec. 571.201. PURPOSE. The purpose of this subchapter is to
19	19	further the objective of fully disclosing information related to
20	20	political contributions and expenditures made in connection with
21	21	offices of and measures proposed by local governmental entities by
22	22	allowing a local governmental entity or a candidate for or holder of
23	23	an office of a local governmental entity or a related
24	24	specific-purpose committee to use the commission's software and
25	25	other commission resources to file reports of political
26	26	contributions and expenditures required by Title 15, Election Code.
27	27	Sec. 571.202. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
28	28	(1) "Local governmental entity" and "local government
29	29	officer" have the meanings assigned by Section 176.001, Local
30	30	Government Code.
31	31	(2) "Measure," "political contribution," "political
32	32	expenditure," and "specific-purpose committee" have the meanings
33	33	assigned by Section 251.001, Election Code.
34	34	Sec. 571.203. USE OF COMMISSION SOFTWARE AND RESOURCES.
35	35	(a) To fulfill the purpose of this subchapter and to facilitate
36	36	filing of reports of political contributions and expenditures
37	37	required by Title 15, Election Code, the commission may allow the
38	38	use of commission software and resources by:
39	39	(1) a local governmental entity;
40	40	(2) a local government officer;
41	41	(3) a candidate for an office of a local governmental
42	42	entity; or
43	43	(4) a specific-purpose committee for supporting or
44	44	opposing a candidate for an office of a local governmental entity,
45	45	assisting a local government officer, or supporting or opposing a
46	46	measure proposed by a local governmental entity.
47	47	(b) The commission may provide assistance to a local
48	48	governmental entity, a local government officer, a candidate for an
49	49	office of a local governmental entity, or a specific-purpose
50	50	committee by:
51	51	(1) developing software to facilitate electronic
52	52	filing of reports of political contributions and expenditures;
53	53	(2) maintaining reports of political contributions
54	54	and expenditures for electronic publishing and filing; and
55	55	(3) providing public access through the commission's
56	56	Internet website to electronic reports of political contributions
57	57	and expenditures filed by:
58	58	(A) a local governmental entity;
59	59	(B) a local government officer;
60	60	(C) a candidate for an office of a local
61	61	governmental entity; or
62	62	(D) a specific-purpose committee for supporting
63	63	or opposing a candidate for an office of a local governmental
64	64	entity, assisting a local government officer, or supporting or
65	65	opposing a measure proposed by a local governmental entity.
66	66	(c) The commission may enter into an intergovernmental
67	67	contract with a local governmental entity to provide the assistance
68	68	described by Subsection (b).
69	69	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.