88R3872 CJD-D
By: AnchÃa H.B. No. 4787
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the acceptance of political contributions by a member
of the Railroad Commission of Texas and of political contributions
made in connection with the office of railroad commissioner.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 81, Natural Resources
Code, is amended by adding Section 81.010045 to read as follows:
Sec. 81.010045. CERTAIN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS
RESTRICTED. (a) In this section, "political committee" and
"political contribution" have the meanings assigned by Section
251.001, Election Code.
(b) A commissioner may not knowingly accept a political
contribution given or offered with the intention that it be used in
connection with a campaign for or the holding of any elective
office, including the office of commissioner, except during the
period:
(1) beginning 17 months before the date of the next
general election at which the commissioner's office is filled; and
(2) ending on the 30th day after the date of that
election.
(c) A person other than a commissioner may not knowingly
accept a political contribution given or offered with the intention
that it be used in connection with a campaign for the office of
commissioner, except:
(1) during the period:
(A) beginning 17 months before the date of the
next general election at which any commissioner's office is filled;
and
(B) ending on the 30th day after the date of that
election; or
(2) during the period beginning on the date a vacancy
in the office of commissioner occurs and ending on the date that
vacancy is filled.
(d) A commissioner may not knowingly accept a political
contribution, and shall refuse a political contribution that is
received, from a party in a contested case before the commission or
a political committee affiliated with such a party during the
period:
(1) beginning on the date notice of the hearing in the
contested case is given; and
(2) ending on:
(A) the 30th day after the date the decision in
the contested case is rendered; or
(B) if a request for rehearing is filed:
(i) the date the request is denied; or
(ii) the 30th day after the date the
decision after rehearing is rendered.
(e) A commissioner shall return a political contribution
that is received and refused under Subsection (d) not later than the
30th day after the date the commissioner received the contribution.
(f) The commission shall adopt rules necessary to implement
Subsections (d) and (e), including rules that:
(1) direct the commission to maintain a list of the
contested cases before the commission and the parties to each case
in order to aid the commissioners in complying with those
subsections; and
(2) ensure that each notice of a hearing in a contested
case that is issued by the commission or a commissioner contains
information about the political contributions prohibited under
Subsection (d).
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.