| 1 | 1 | | 84R4421 ATP-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Rodriguez of Travis H.B. No. 2520 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to restrictions on the political activities of a county |
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| 8 | 8 | | clerk who administers elections; creating a criminal offense. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 31, Election Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 31.125 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 31.125. RESTRICTIONS ON POLITICAL ACTIVITIES OF COUNTY |
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| 13 | 13 | | CLERK WHO ADMINISTERS ELECTIONS. (a) This section applies only to |
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| 14 | 14 | | a county clerk of a county for which the position of county |
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| 15 | 15 | | elections administrator has not been created. |
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| 16 | 16 | | (b) A county clerk may not be a candidate for an office of a |
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| 17 | 17 | | political party or hold a position in a political party. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (c) A county clerk may not make a political contribution or |
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| 19 | 19 | | political expenditure, as defined by the law regulating political |
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| 20 | 20 | | funds and campaigns, or publicly support or oppose a candidate for |
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| 21 | 21 | | public office or a measure to be voted on at an election. This |
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| 22 | 22 | | subsection does not apply with respect to the county clerk's own |
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| 23 | 23 | | candidacy for a public office. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (d) A county clerk commits an offense if the clerk violates |
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| 25 | 25 | | this section. An offense under this subsection is a Class A |
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| 26 | 26 | | misdemeanor. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (e) In this section, "candidate" means a person who has |
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| 28 | 28 | | taken affirmative action, as described by the law regulating |
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| 29 | 29 | | political funds and campaigns, for the purpose of gaining |
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| 30 | 30 | | nomination or election. |
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| 31 | 31 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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