| 1 | 1 | | 85R671 EES-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Howard H.B. No. 371 |
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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 certain restrictions on contributions and expenditures |
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| 8 | 8 | | from political funds by a lobbyist; 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 A, Chapter 253, Election Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 253.006 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 253.006. CERTAIN CONTRIBUTIONS AND EXPENDITURES BY |
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| 13 | 13 | | LOBBYISTS RESTRICTED. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of |
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| 14 | 14 | | law, a person required to register under Chapter 305, Government |
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| 15 | 15 | | Code, may not, before the second anniversary of the date the last |
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| 16 | 16 | | term for which the person was elected ends, knowingly make or |
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| 17 | 17 | | authorize a political contribution or political expenditure from |
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| 18 | 18 | | political contributions accepted by the person as a candidate or |
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| 19 | 19 | | officeholder. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (b) A person who violates this section commits an offense. |
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| 21 | 21 | | An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor. |
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| 22 | 22 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 305, Government Code, is |
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| 23 | 23 | | amended by adding Section 305.029 to read as follows: |
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| 24 | 24 | | Sec. 305.029. EXPENDITURES FROM POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS |
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| 25 | 25 | | RESTRICTED. (a) In this section, "political contribution" has the |
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| 26 | 26 | | meaning assigned by Section 251.001, Election Code. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person |
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| 28 | 28 | | required to register under this chapter may not, before the second |
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| 29 | 29 | | anniversary of the date the last term for which the person was |
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| 30 | 30 | | elected ends, knowingly make or authorize an expenditure under this |
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| 31 | 31 | | chapter from political contributions accepted by the person as a |
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| 32 | 32 | | candidate or officeholder. |
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| 33 | 33 | | SECTION 3. Section 253.006, Election Code, as added by this |
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| 34 | 34 | | Act, and Section 305.029, Government Code, as added by this Act, |
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| 35 | 35 | | apply to a political contribution, political expenditure, or |
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| 36 | 36 | | lobbying expenditure made on or after January 6, 2019, from funds |
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| 37 | 37 | | accepted as a political contribution, regardless of the date the |
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| 38 | 38 | | funds were accepted. |
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| 39 | 39 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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