By: Swanson H.B. No. 551
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to address information contained on reports of political
contributions and expenditures made available on the Internet by
the Texas Ethics Commission.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 254.036, Election Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows:
(b-1) In prescribing the format of a report filed with the
commission under Subsection (b), the commission shall ensure the
report includes a space to indicate whether the address of an
individual listed as having received a political expenditure is a
residence address.
SECTION 2. Section 254.0401, Election Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (e) and adding Subsection (e-1) to read as
follows:
(e) Before making a report filed under Section 254.036(b)
available on the Internet, the commission shall remove each
portion, other than city, state, and zip code, of:
(1) the address of a person listed as having made a
political contribution to the person filing the report; and
(2) the residence address of an individual listed as
having received a political expenditure if the individual's address
is indicated in the space described by Section 254.036(b-1) as
being a residence address.
(e-1) The address information the commission removes under
Subsection (e) [removed] must remain available on the report
maintained in the commission's office but may not be available
electronically at that office.
SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
a report of political contributions and expenditures under Chapter
254, Election Code, that is required to be filed on or after January
1, 2026.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.