85R13773 ATP-D
By: Rose H.B. No. 4211
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the electronic filing of reports of political
contributions and expenditures with populous counties.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Sections 254.036(a), (b), (c), and (f), Election
Code, are amended to read as follows:
(a) Each report filed under this chapter to which Subsection
(b) does not apply [with an authority other than the commission]
must be in a format prescribed by the commission. A report filed
with the commission that is not required to be filed by computer
diskette, modem, or other means of electronic transfer must be on a
form prescribed by the commission and written in black ink or typed
with black typewriter ribbon or, if the report is a computer
printout, the printout must conform to the same format and paper
size as the form prescribed by the commission.
(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c) or (e), each report
filed under this chapter with the commission or the county clerk of
a county with a population of 800,000 or more must be filed by
computer diskette, modem, or other means of electronic transfer,
using computer software provided by the commission or computer
software that meets commission specifications for a standard file
format.
(c) A candidate, officeholder, or political committee to
whom Subsection (b) applies [that is required to file reports with
the commission] may file reports that comply with Subsection (a)
if:
(1) the candidate, officeholder, or campaign
treasurer of the committee files with the authority with whom
reports under this chapter are filed [commission] an affidavit
stating that the candidate, officeholder, or committee, an agent of
the candidate, officeholder, or committee, or a person with whom
the candidate, officeholder, or committee contracts does not use
computer equipment to keep the current records of political
contributions, political expenditures, or persons making political
contributions to the candidate, officeholder, or committee; and
(2) the candidate, officeholder, or committee does
not, in a calendar year, accept political contributions that in the
aggregate exceed $20,000 or make political expenditures that in the
aggregate exceed $20,000.
(f) In prescribing the format of a report filed under
Subsection (a) [this chapter with an authority other than the
commission], the commission shall ensure that:
(1) a report may be filed:
(A) by first class United States mail or common
or contract carrier;
(B) by personal delivery; or
(C) by electronic filing, if the authority with
whom the report is required to be filed has adopted rules and
procedures to provide for the electronic filing of the report and
the report is filed in accordance with those rules and procedures;
and
(2) an authority with whom a report is electronically
filed issues an electronic receipt for the report to the person
filing the report.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.