Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB710 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	88R6818 MPF-D
2	2	By: Kolkhorst S.B. No. 710
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the making and acceptance of political contributions
8	8	during a special legislative session; creating a criminal offense.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. The heading to Section 253.034, Election Code,
11	11	is amended to read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 253.034. RESTRICTIONS ON CONTRIBUTIONS DURING AND
13	13	FOLLOWING [REGULAR] LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
14	14	SECTION 2. Section 253.034, Election Code, is amended by
15	15	adding Subsection (a-1) and amending Subsections (b) and (c) to
16	16	read as follows:
17	17	(a-1) During the period beginning on the date a special
18	18	legislative session convenes and continuing through the date of
19	19	final adjournment of the special legislative session, a person may
20	20	not knowingly make a political contribution to:
21	21	(1) a statewide officeholder;
22	22	(2) a member of the legislature; or
23	23	(3) a specific-purpose committee for supporting,
24	24	opposing, or assisting a statewide officeholder or member of the
25	25	legislature.
26	26	(b) A statewide officeholder, a member of the legislature,
27	27	or a specific-purpose committee for supporting, opposing, or
28	28	assisting a statewide officeholder or member of the legislature may
29	29	not knowingly accept a political contribution, and shall refuse a
30	30	political contribution that is received, during an applicable [the]
31	31	period prescribed by Subsection (a) or (a-1). A political
32	32	contribution that is received and refused during that period shall
33	33	be returned to the contributor not later than the 30th day after the
34	34	date of receipt. A contribution made by United States mail or by
35	35	common or contract carrier is not considered received during that
36	36	period if it was properly addressed and placed with postage or
37	37	carrier charges prepaid or prearranged in the mail or delivered to
38	38	the contract carrier before the beginning of the period. The date
39	39	indicated by the post office cancellation mark or the common or
40	40	contract carrier documents is considered to be the date the
41	41	contribution was placed in the mail or delivered to the common or
42	42	contract carrier unless proven otherwise.
43	43	(c) This section does not apply to a political contribution
44	44	that was made and accepted with the intent that it be used:
45	45	(1) in an election held or ordered during a [the]
46	46	period prescribed by Subsection (a) or (a-1) in which the person
47	47	accepting the contribution is a candidate if the contribution was
48	48	made after the person appointed a campaign treasurer with the
49	49	appropriate authority and before the person was sworn in for that
50	50	office;
51	51	(2) to defray expenses incurred in connection with an
52	52	election contest; or
53	53	(3) by a person who holds a state office or a member of
54	54	the legislature if the person or member was defeated at the general
55	55	election held immediately before the session is convened or by a
56	56	specific-purpose political committee that supports or assists only
57	57	that person or member.
58	58	SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
59	59	a political contribution made on or after the effective date of this
60	60	Act. A political contribution made before the effective date of
61	61	this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the
62	62	contribution was made, and the former law is continued in effect for
63	63	that purpose.
64	64	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.