| 1 | 1 | | By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 2242 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to the provision of assistance by the Texas Ethics |
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| 7 | 7 | | Commission in the reporting of political contributions and |
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| 8 | 8 | | expenditures made in connection with offices of and measures |
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| 9 | 9 | | proposed by local governmental entities. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 571, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 12 | 12 | | adding Subchapter G to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | SUBCHAPTER G. REPORTING OF POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND |
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| 14 | 14 | | EXPENDITURES RELATED TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES AND OFFICERS |
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| 15 | 15 | | Sec. 571.201. PURPOSE. The purpose of this subchapter is to |
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| 16 | 16 | | further the objective of fully disclosing information related to |
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| 17 | 17 | | political contributions and expenditures made in connection with |
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| 18 | 18 | | offices of and measures proposed by local governmental entities by |
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| 19 | 19 | | allowing a local governmental entity or a candidate for or holder of |
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| 20 | 20 | | an office of a local governmental entity or a related |
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| 21 | 21 | | specific-purpose committee to use the commission's software and |
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| 22 | 22 | | other commission resources to file reports of political |
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| 23 | 23 | | contributions and expenditures required by Title 15, Election Code. |
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| 24 | 24 | | Sec. 571.202. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
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| 25 | 25 | | (1) "Local governmental entity" and "local government |
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| 26 | 26 | | officer" have the meanings assigned by Section 176.001, Local |
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| 27 | 27 | | Government Code. |
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| 28 | 28 | | (2) "Measure," "political contribution," "political |
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| 29 | 29 | | expenditure," and "specific-purpose committee" have the meanings |
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| 30 | 30 | | assigned by Section 251.001, Election Code. |
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| 31 | 31 | | Sec. 571.203. USE OF COMMISSION SOFTWARE AND RESOURCES. |
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| 32 | 32 | | (a) To fulfill the purpose of this subchapter and to facilitate |
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| 33 | 33 | | filing of reports of political contributions and expenditures |
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| 34 | 34 | | required by Title 15, Election Code, the commission may allow the |
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| 35 | 35 | | use of commission software and resources by: |
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| 36 | 36 | | (1) a local governmental entity; |
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| 37 | 37 | | (2) a local government officer; |
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| 38 | 38 | | (3) a candidate for an office of a local governmental |
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| 39 | 39 | | entity; or |
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| 40 | 40 | | (4) a specific-purpose committee for supporting or |
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| 41 | 41 | | opposing a candidate for an office of a local governmental entity, |
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| 42 | 42 | | assisting a local government officer, or supporting or opposing a |
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| 43 | 43 | | measure proposed by a local governmental entity. |
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| 44 | 44 | | (b) The commission may provide assistance to a local |
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| 45 | 45 | | governmental entity, a local government officer, a candidate for an |
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| 46 | 46 | | office of a local governmental entity, or a specific-purpose |
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| 47 | 47 | | committee by: |
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| 48 | 48 | | (1) developing software to facilitate electronic |
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| 49 | 49 | | filing of reports of political contributions and expenditures; |
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| 50 | 50 | | (2) maintaining reports of political contributions |
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| 51 | 51 | | and expenditures for electronic publishing and filing; and |
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| 52 | 52 | | (3) providing public access through the commission's |
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| 53 | 53 | | Internet website to electronic reports of political contributions |
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| 54 | 54 | | and expenditures filed by: |
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| 55 | 55 | | (A) a local governmental entity; |
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| 56 | 56 | | (B) a local government officer; |
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| 57 | 57 | | (C) a candidate for an office of a local |
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| 58 | 58 | | governmental entity; or |
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| 59 | 59 | | (D) a specific-purpose committee for supporting |
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| 60 | 60 | | or opposing a candidate for an office of a local governmental |
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| 61 | 61 | | entity, assisting a local government officer, or supporting or |
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| 62 | 62 | | opposing a measure proposed by a local governmental entity. |
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| 63 | 63 | | (c) The commission may enter into an intergovernmental |
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| 64 | 64 | | contract with a local governmental entity to provide the assistance |
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| 65 | 65 | | described by Subsection (b). |
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| 66 | 66 | | SECTION 2. This Act does not make an appropriation. A |
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| 67 | 67 | | provision in this Act that creates a new governmental program, |
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| 68 | 68 | | creates a new entitlement, or imposes a new duty on a governmental |
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| 69 | 69 | | entity is not mandatory during a fiscal period for which the |
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| 70 | 70 | | legislature has not made a specific appropriation to implement the |
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| 71 | 71 | | provision. |
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| 72 | 72 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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