By: Smith of Tarrant H.B. No. 4436
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the period during which a judicial candidate or
officeholder may accept political contributions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 253.153, Election Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) 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:
(A) the [general] 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 [for
state and county officers, if the candidate or officeholder has an
opponent in the general election;
[(B) except as provided by Subsection (c), the
runoff primary election, if the candidate or officeholder is a
candidate in the runoff primary election and does not have an
opponent in the general election; or
[(C) except as provided by Subsection (c), the
general primary election, if the candidate or officeholder is not a
candidate in the runoff primary election and does not have an
opponent in the general election].
(a-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a judicial candidate
or officeholder who had an opponent in a primary election or runoff
primary election but who was not opposed in the general election
held on November 4, 2008, may accept political contributions as
provided by this title during the period beginning September 1,
2009, and ending December 31, 2009. This subsection expires
January 1, 2010.
SECTION 2. Section 253.153(c), Election Code, is repealed.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.