Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1631 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R1068 ATP-D
2	2	By: Taylor of Collin S.B. No. 1631
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to quarterly reporting of political contributions and
8	8	expenditures by certain candidates, officeholders, and political
9	9	committees.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Section 252.0011(d), Election Code, is amended
12	12	to read as follows:
13	13	(d) Subsection (c) applies to a person who is the campaign
14	14	treasurer of a general-purpose committee regardless of whether the
15	15	committee files quarterly or files monthly reports under Section
16	16	254.155. For purposes of this subsection, political contributions
17	17	accepted and political expenditures made during each month of a
18	18	[monthly] reporting period are aggregated with political
19	19	contributions accepted and political expenditures made in each
20	20	other month of the [monthly] reporting period that corresponds to
21	21	the semiannual reporting period that contains those months.
22	22	SECTION 2. Section 254.031, Election Code, is amended by
23	23	adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
24	24	(c) For a person who files quarterly reports under this
25	25	chapter, the threshold amounts provided by Subsection (a) shall be
26	26	divided by two. The commission shall adopt rules to implement this
27	27	subsection.
28	28	SECTION 3. Section 254.0405, Election Code, is amended to
29	29	read as follows:
30	30	Sec. 254.0405. AMENDMENT OF FILED REPORT. (a) A person
31	31	who files a quarterly or semiannual report under this chapter may
32	32	amend the report.
33	33	(b) A quarterly or semiannual report that is amended before
34	34	the eighth day after the date the original report was filed is
35	35	considered to have been filed on the date on which the original
36	36	report was filed.
37	37	(c) A quarterly or semiannual report that is amended on or
38	38	after the eighth day after the original report was filed is
39	39	considered to have been filed on the date on which the original
40	40	report was filed if:
41	41	(1) the amendment is made before any complaint is
42	42	filed with regard to the subject of the amendment; and
43	43	(2) the original report was made in good faith and
44	44	without an intent to mislead or to misrepresent the information
45	45	contained in the report.
46	46	SECTION 4. Section 254.041(d), Election Code, is amended to
47	47	read as follows:
48	48	(d) It is an exception to the application of Subsection
49	49	(a)(3) that:
50	50	(1) the information was required to be included in a
51	51	quarterly or semiannual report; and
52	52	(2) the person amended the report within the time
53	53	prescribed by Section 254.0405(b) or under the circumstances
54	54	described by Section 254.0405(c).
55	55	SECTION 5. The heading to Section 254.063, Election Code,
56	56	is amended to read as follows:
57	57	Sec. 254.063. SEMIANNUAL REPORTING SCHEDULE FOR CERTAIN
58	58	CANDIDATES [CANDIDATE].
59	59	SECTION 6. Section 254.063(a), Election Code, is amended to
60	60	read as follows:
61	61	(a) Except as provided by Section 254.0631, a [A] candidate
62	62	shall file two reports for each year as provided by this section.
63	63	SECTION 7. Subchapter C, Chapter 254, Election Code, is
64	64	amended by adding Section 254.0631 to read as follows:
65	65	Sec. 254.0631. QUARTERLY REPORTING SCHEDULE FOR CANDIDATE
66	66	FOR OFFICE OF STATE GOVERNMENT. (a) A candidate for a statewide
67	67	office or for the office of state representative or state senator
68	68	shall file four reports for each year as provided by this section.
69	69	(b) The first report shall be filed not later than April 15.
70	70	The report covers the period beginning January 1, the day the
71	71	candidate's campaign treasurer appointment is filed, or the first
72	72	day after the period covered by the last report required to be filed
73	73	under this subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through March
74	74	31.
75	75	(c) The second report shall be filed not later than July 15.
76	76	The report covers the period beginning April 1, the day the
77	77	candidate's campaign treasurer appointment is filed, or the first
78	78	day after the period covered by the last report required to be filed
79	79	under this subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through June
80	80	30.
81	81	(d) The third report shall be filed not later than October
82	82	15. The report covers the period beginning July 1, the day the
83	83	candidate's campaign treasurer appointment is filed, or the first
84	84	day after the period covered by the last report required to be filed
85	85	under this subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through
86	86	September 30.
87	87	(e) The fourth report shall be filed not later than January
88	88	15. The report covers the period beginning October 1, the day the
89	89	candidate's campaign treasurer appointment is filed, or the first
90	90	day after the period covered by the last report required to be filed
91	91	under this subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through
92	92	December 31.
93	93	SECTION 8. The heading to Section 254.093, Election Code,
94	94	is amended to read as follows:
95	95	Sec. 254.093. SEMIANNUAL REPORTING SCHEDULE FOR CERTAIN
96	96	OFFICEHOLDERS [OFFICEHOLDER].
97	97	SECTION 9. Section 254.093(a), Election Code, is amended to
98	98	read as follows:
99	99	(a) Except as provided by Section 254.0931, an [An]
100	100	officeholder shall file two reports for each year as provided by
101	101	this section.
102	102	SECTION 10. Subchapter D, Chapter 254, Election Code, is
103	103	amended by adding Section 254.0931 to read as follows:
104	104	Sec. 254.0931. QUARTERLY REPORTING SCHEDULE FOR HOLDER OF
105	105	OFFICE OF STATE GOVERNMENT. (a) A holder of a statewide office, a
106	106	state representative, or a state senator shall file four reports
107	107	for each year as provided by this section.
108	108	(b) The first report shall be filed not later than April 15.
109	109	The report covers the period beginning January 1, the day the
110	110	officeholder takes office, or the first day after the period
111	111	covered by the last report required to be filed under this
112	112	subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through March 31.
113	113	(c) The second report shall be filed not later than July 15.
114	114	The report covers the period beginning April 1, the day the
115	115	officeholder takes office, or the first day after the period
116	116	covered by the last report required to be filed under this
117	117	subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through June 30.
118	118	(d) The third report shall be filed not later than October
119	119	15. The report covers the period beginning July 1, the day the
120	120	officeholder takes office, or the first day after the period
121	121	covered by the last report required to be filed under this
122	122	subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through September 30.
123	123	(e) The fourth report shall be filed not later than January
124	124	15. The report covers the period beginning October 1, the day the
125	125	officeholder takes office, or the first day after the period
126	126	covered by the last report required to be filed under this
127	127	subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through December 31.
128	128	SECTION 11. The heading to Section 254.123, Election Code,
129	129	is amended to read as follows:
130	130	Sec. 254.123. SEMIANNUAL REPORTING SCHEDULE FOR CERTAIN
131	131	COMMITTEES [COMMITTEE].
132	132	SECTION 12. Section 254.123(a), Election Code, is amended
133	133	to read as follows:
134	134	(a) Except as provided by Section 254.1231, the [The]
135	135	campaign treasurer of a specific-purpose committee shall file two
136	136	reports for each year as provided by this section.
137	137	SECTION 13. Subchapter E, Chapter 254, Election Code, is
138	138	amended by adding Section 254.1231 to read as follows:
139	139	Sec. 254.1231. QUARTERLY REPORTING SCHEDULE FOR COMMITTEES
140	140	WITH PURPOSE RELATED TO OFFICE OF STATE GOVERNMENT. (a) A
141	141	specific-purpose committee supporting or opposing a candidate for a
142	142	statewide office or the office of state representative or state
143	143	senator, or assisting a holder of a statewide office, a state
144	144	representative, or a state senator shall file four reports for each
145	145	year as provided by this section.
146	146	(b) The first report shall be filed not later than April 15.
147	147	The report covers the period beginning January 1, the day the
148	148	committee's campaign treasurer appointment is filed, or the first
149	149	day after the period covered by the last report required to be filed
150	150	under this subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through March
151	151	31.
152	152	(c) The second report shall be filed not later than July 15.
153	153	The report covers the period beginning April 1, the day the
154	154	committee's campaign treasurer appointment is filed, or the first
155	155	day after the period covered by the last report required to be filed
156	156	under this subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through June
157	157	30.
158	158	(d) The third report shall be filed not later than October
159	159	15. The report covers the period beginning July 1, the day the
160	160	committee's campaign treasurer appointment is filed, or the first
161	161	day after the period covered by the last report required to be filed
162	162	under this subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through
163	163	September 30.
164	164	(e) The fourth report shall be filed not later than January
165	165	15. The report covers the period beginning October 1, the day the
166	166	committee's campaign treasurer appointment is filed, or the first
167	167	day after the period covered by the last report required to be filed
168	168	under this subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through
169	169	December 31.
170	170	SECTION 14. Section 254.153, Election Code, is amended to
171	171	read as follows:
172	172	Sec. 254.153. QUARTERLY [SEMIANNUAL] REPORTING SCHEDULE
173	173	FOR COMMITTEE. (a) The campaign treasurer of a general-purpose
174	174	committee shall file four [two] reports for each year as provided by
175	175	this section.
176	176	(b) The first report shall be filed not later than April
177	177	[July] 15. The report covers the period beginning January 1, the
178	178	day the committee's campaign treasurer appointment is filed, or the
179	179	first day after the period covered by the last report required to be
180	180	filed under this subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through
181	181	March 31 [June 30].
182	182	(c) The second report shall be filed not later than July
183	183	[January] 15. The report covers the period beginning April [July]
184	184	1, the day the committee's campaign treasurer appointment is filed,
185	185	or the first day after the period covered by the last report
186	186	required to be filed under this subchapter, as applicable, and
187	187	continuing through June 30 [December 31].
188	188	(d) The third report shall be filed not later than October
189	189	15. The report covers the period beginning July 1, the day the
190	190	committee's campaign treasurer appointment is filed, or the first
191	191	day after the period covered by the last report required to be filed
192	192	under this subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through
193	193	September 30.
194	194	(e) The fourth report shall be filed not later than January
195	195	15. The report covers the period beginning October 1, the day the
196	196	committee's campaign treasurer appointment is filed, or the first
197	197	day after the period covered by the last report required to be filed
198	198	under this subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through
199	199	December 31.
200	200	SECTION 15. Section 254.184(b), Election Code, is amended
201	201	to read as follows:
202	202	(b) A candidate or committee filing under this subchapter is
203	203	not required to file any reports of political contributions and
204	204	political expenditures other than the required quarterly or
205	205	semiannual reports [required to be filed not later than July 15 and
206	206	January 15].
207	207	SECTION 16. This Act takes effect January 1, 2016.