Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1613 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R715 MPF-D
2	2	By: Johnson H.B. No. 1613
3	3
4	4
5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the making and acceptance of political contributions
10	10	during a special legislative session.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. The heading to Section 253.034, Election Code,
13	13	is amended to read as follows:
14	14	Sec. 253.034. RESTRICTIONS ON CONTRIBUTIONS DURING AND
15	15	FOLLOWING [REGULAR] LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
16	16	SECTION 2. Section 253.034, Election Code, is amended by
17	17	adding Subsection (a-1) and amending Subsections (b) and (c) to
18	18	read as follows:
19	19	(a-1) During the period beginning on the date a special
20	20	legislative session convenes and continuing through the date of
21	21	final adjournment of the special legislative session, a person may
22	22	not knowingly make a political contribution to:
23	23	(1) a statewide officeholder;
24	24	(2) a member of the legislature whose term does not
25	25	expire in January of the next odd-numbered year; or
26	26	(3) a specific-purpose committee for supporting,
27	27	opposing, or assisting a person described by Subdivision (1) or
28	28	(2).
29	29	(b) A person to which Subsection (a) or (a-1) applies
30	30	[statewide officeholder, a member of the legislature, or a
31	31	specific-purpose committee for supporting, opposing, or assisting
32	32	a statewide officeholder or member of the legislature] may not
33	33	knowingly accept a political contribution, and shall refuse a
34	34	political contribution that is received, during an applicable [the]
35	35	period prescribed by those subsections [Subsection (a)]. A
36	36	political contribution that is received and refused during that
37	37	period shall be returned to the contributor not later than the 30th
38	38	day after the date of receipt. A contribution made by United States
39	39	mail or by common or contract carrier is not considered received
40	40	during that period if it was properly addressed and placed with
41	41	postage or carrier charges prepaid or prearranged in the mail or
42	42	delivered to the contract carrier before the beginning of the
43	43	period. The date indicated by the post office cancellation mark or
44	44	the common or contract carrier documents is considered to be the
45	45	date the contribution was placed in the mail or delivered to the
46	46	common or contract carrier unless proven otherwise.
47	47	(c) This section does not apply to a political contribution
48	48	that was made and accepted with the intent that it be used:
49	49	(1) in an election held or ordered during a [the]
50	50	period prescribed by Subsection (a) or (a-1) in which the person
51	51	accepting the contribution is a candidate if the contribution was
52	52	made after the person appointed a campaign treasurer with the
53	53	appropriate authority and before the person was sworn in for that
54	54	office;
55	55	(2) to defray expenses incurred in connection with an
56	56	election contest; or
57	57	(3) by a person who holds a state office or a member of
58	58	the legislature if the person or member was defeated at the general
59	59	election held immediately before the session is convened or by a
60	60	specific-purpose political committee that supports or assists only
61	61	that person or member.
62	62	SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
63	63	a political contribution made on or after the effective date of this
64	64	Act. A political contribution made before the effective date of
65	65	this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the
66	66	contribution was made, and the former law is continued in effect for
67	67	that purpose.
68	68	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.