| 1 | 1 | | 89R16987 CJD-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Birdwell S.B. No. 2781 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to the imposition of civil penalties for certain |
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| 10 | 10 | | violations with respect to political contributions and |
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| 11 | 11 | | expenditures made by certain persons who engage in lobbying |
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| 12 | 12 | | activities. |
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| 13 | 13 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 14 | 14 | | SECTION 1. Section 253.006, Election Code, is amended to |
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| 15 | 15 | | read as follows: |
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| 16 | 16 | | Sec. 253.006. CERTAIN CONTRIBUTIONS AND EXPENDITURES BY |
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| 17 | 17 | | LOBBYISTS RESTRICTED. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of |
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| 18 | 18 | | law, a person required to register under Chapter 305, Government |
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| 19 | 19 | | Code, may not knowingly make or authorize a political contribution |
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| 20 | 20 | | or political expenditure that is a political contribution to |
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| 21 | 21 | | another candidate, officeholder, or political committee, or direct |
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| 22 | 22 | | campaign expenditure, from political contributions accepted by: |
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| 23 | 23 | | (1) the person as a candidate or officeholder; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2) a specific-purpose committee for the purpose of |
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| 25 | 25 | | supporting the person as a candidate or assisting the person as an |
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| 26 | 26 | | officeholder; or |
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| 27 | 27 | | (3) a political committee that accepted a political |
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| 28 | 28 | | contribution from a source described by Subdivision (1) or (2) |
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| 29 | 29 | | during the two-year period immediately before the date the |
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| 30 | 30 | | political contribution or expenditure was made. |
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| 31 | 31 | | (b) A person who violates this section is subject to a civil |
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| 32 | 32 | | penalty in an amount not to exceed twice the amount of the political |
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| 33 | 33 | | contribution or political expenditure made or authorized in |
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| 34 | 34 | | violation of this section. |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 2. Section 253.007, Election Code, is amended by |
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| 36 | 36 | | adding Subsection (d) to read as follows: |
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| 37 | 37 | | (d) A person who violates this section is subject to a civil |
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| 38 | 38 | | penalty in an amount not to exceed twice the amount of all political |
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| 39 | 39 | | contributions or political expenditures described by Subsection |
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| 40 | 40 | | (b) made or authorized by the person in the two years preceding the |
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| 41 | 41 | | date on which the activities in violation of this section occurred. |
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| 42 | 42 | | SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act to Chapter |
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| 43 | 43 | | 253, Election code, apply only to a violation that occurs on or |
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| 44 | 44 | | after the effective date of this Act. A violation that occurs |
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| 45 | 45 | | before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in |
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| 46 | 46 | | effect on the date the violation occurred, and the former law is |
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| 47 | 47 | | continued in effect for that purpose. |
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| 48 | 48 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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