By: Tepper H.B. No. 2626
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the availability on the Internet of reports of
political contributions or expenditures filed in connection with
certain offices.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 254.0401, Election Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (a-1) and (c) and adding Subsections (g), (h),
and (i) to read as follows:
(a-1) The county clerk of a county [with a population of
800,000 or more] shall make a report filed with the clerk by a
candidate, officeholder, or specific-purpose committee under this
subchapter [in connection with a county office or the office of
county commissioner] available to the public on the county's
Internet website not later than the fifth business day after the
date the report is received.
(c) The clerk of a municipality [with a population of
500,000 or more] shall make a report filed with the clerk by a
candidate, officeholder, or specific-purpose committee under this
subchapter [in connection with the office of mayor or member of the
municipality's governing body] available to the public on the
municipality's Internet website not later than the fifth business
day after the date the report is received.
(g) The clerk or secretary of the governing body of a
political subdivision or, if the political subdivision has no clerk
or secretary, the governing body's presiding officer shall make a
report filed with the political subdivision by a candidate,
officeholder, or specific-purpose committee under this subchapter
available to the public on the political subdivision's Internet
website not later than the fifth business day after the date the
report is received.
(h) Before making a report available on the Internet as
required by Subsection (a-1), (c), or (g), the authority with whom
the report is filed may remove each portion, other than city, state,
and zip code, of the address of a person listed as having made a
political contribution to the person filing the report. The
address information removed must remain available on the report
maintained in the authority's office.
(i) A report made available on an Internet website under
this section must be accessible on that website until the fifth
anniversary of the date the report is first made available.
SECTION 2. Section 254.04011, Election Code, is repealed.
SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
a report of political contributions and expenditures that is
required to be filed under Chapter 254, Election Code, on or after
the effective date of this Act.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.