84R9263 ATP-F
	By: Turner of Tarrant	H.B. No. 1787

	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to the regulation of political contributions and
	expenditures.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  Section 251.001, Election Code, is amended by
	adding Subdivision (21) to read as follows:
	(21)  "In-kind contribution" means a contribution of
	goods, services, or any other thing of value, except money.
	SECTION 2.  Sections 252.0011(c) and (d), Election Code, are
	amended to read as follows:
	(c)  Subsection (a) does not apply to a person if, in any
	quarterly [semiannual] reporting period prescribed by Chapter 254:
	(1)  the political committee in connection with which
	the person's ineligibility arose did not accept political
	contributions that in the aggregate exceed $2,500 [$5,000] or make
	political expenditures that in the aggregate exceed $2,500
	[$5,000]; and
	(2)  the candidate who or political committee that
	subsequently appoints the person does not accept political
	contributions that in the aggregate exceed $2,500 [$5,000] or make
	political expenditures that in the aggregate exceed $2,500
	[$5,000].
	(d)  Subsection (c) applies to a person who is the campaign
	treasurer of a general-purpose committee regardless of whether the
	committee files monthly reports under Section 254.155. For
	purposes of this subsection, political contributions accepted and
	political expenditures made during a monthly reporting period are
	aggregated with political contributions accepted and political
	expenditures made in each other monthly reporting period that
	corresponds to the quarterly [semiannual] reporting period that
	contains those months.
	SECTION 3.  Section 254.031, Election Code, is amended by
	amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (c) to read as
	follows:
	(a)  Except as otherwise provided by this chapter, each
	report filed under this chapter must include:
	(1)  the amount of political contributions from each
	person that in the aggregate exceed $50 and that are accepted during
	the reporting period by the person or committee required to file a
	report under this chapter, the full name and address of the person
	making the contributions, and the dates of the contributions;
	(2)  the amount of loans that are made during the
	reporting period for campaign or officeholder purposes to the
	person or committee required to file the report and that in the
	aggregate exceed $50, the dates the loans are made, the interest
	rate, the maturity date, the type of collateral for the loans, if
	any, the full name and address of the person or financial
	institution making the loans, the full name and address, principal
	occupation, and name of the employer of each guarantor of the loans,
	the amount of the loans guaranteed by each guarantor, and the
	aggregate principal amount of all outstanding loans as of the last
	day of the reporting period;
	(3)  the amount of political expenditures that in the
	aggregate exceed $100 and that are made during the reporting
	period, the full name and address of the persons to whom the
	expenditures are made, and the dates and purposes of the
	expenditures;
	(4)  the amount of each payment made during the
	reporting period from a political contribution if the payment is
	not a political expenditure, the full name and address of the person
	to whom the payment is made, and the date and purpose of the
	payment;
	(5)  the total amount or a specific listing of the
	political contributions of $50 or less accepted and the total
	amount or a specific listing of the political expenditures of $100
	or less made during the reporting period;
	(6)  the total amount of all political contributions
	accepted and the total amount of all political expenditures made
	during the reporting period;
	(7)  the name of each candidate or officeholder who
	benefits from a direct campaign expenditure made during the
	reporting period by the person or committee required to file the
	report, and the office sought or held, excluding a direct campaign
	expenditure that is made by the principal political committee of a
	political party on behalf of a slate of two or more nominees of that
	party;
	(8)  as of the last day of a reporting period for which
	the person is required to file a report, the difference obtained
	from subtracting any payment for a political expenditure made
	through a negotiable instrument, credit card, or similar method
	that has not yet been processed from the total amount of political
	contributions accepted and deposited, including interest or other
	income on those contributions, maintained in one or more accounts
	in which political contributions are deposited as of the last day of
	the reporting period;
	(9)  any credit, interest, rebate, refund,
	reimbursement, or return of a deposit fee resulting from the use of
	a political contribution or an asset purchased with a political
	contribution that is received during the reporting period and the
	amount of which exceeds $100;
	(10)  any proceeds of the sale of an asset purchased
	with a political contribution that is received during the reporting
	period and the amount of which exceeds $100;
	(11)  any investment purchased with a political
	contribution that is received during the reporting period and the
	amount of which exceeds $100;
	(12)  any other gain from a political contribution that
	is received during the reporting period and the amount of which
	exceeds $100; [and]
	(13)  the full name and address of each person from whom
	an amount described by Subdivision (9), (10), (11), or (12) is
	received, the date the amount is received, and the purpose for which
	the amount is received;
	(14)  the amount of in-kind political contributions
	from each person that in the aggregate exceed $50 and that are used
	or expended during the reporting period and the date and purpose of
	such use or expenditure; and
	(15)  the amount of each bill or invoice that has been
	assessed but for which payment has not yet been made.
	(c)  For purposes of Subsections (a)(3) and (4), the date of
	an expenditure or payment made with a credit card is the date of the
	purchase.
	SECTION 4.  Section 254.0401(a), Election Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	(a)  The commission shall make each report filed with the
	commission under Section 254.036(b) available to the public on the
	Internet as soon as practicable after [not later than the second
	business day after the date] the report is filed.
	SECTION 5.  Section 254.0405, Election Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 254.0405.  AMENDMENT OF FILED REPORT. (a)  A person
	who files a quarterly or semiannual report under this chapter may
	amend the report.
	(b)  A quarterly or semiannual report that is amended before
	the eighth day after the date the original report was filed is
	considered to have been filed on the date on which the original
	report was filed.
	(c)  A quarterly or semiannual report that is amended on or
	after the eighth day after the original report was filed is
	considered to have been filed on the date on which the original
	report was filed if:
	(1)  the amendment is made before any complaint is
	filed with regard to the subject of the amendment; and
	(2)  the original report was made in good faith and
	without an intent to mislead or to misrepresent the information
	contained in the report.
	SECTION 6.  Section 254.041(d), Election Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	(d)  It is an exception to the application of Subsection
	(a)(3) that:
	(1)  the information was required to be included in a
	quarterly or semiannual report; and
	(2)  the person amended the report within the time
	prescribed by Section 254.0405(b) or under the circumstances
	described by Section 254.0405(c).
	SECTION 7.  Section 254.063, Election Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 254.063.  QUARTERLY [SEMIANNUAL] REPORTING SCHEDULE
	FOR CANDIDATE. (a) A candidate shall file four [two] reports for
	each year as provided by this section.
	(b)  The first report shall be filed not later than April
	[July] 15. The report covers the period beginning January 1, the
	day the candidate's campaign treasurer appointment is filed, or the
	first day after the period covered by the last report required to be
	filed under this subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through
	March 31 [June 30].
	(c)  The second report shall be filed not later than July
	[January] 15. The report covers the period beginning April [July]
	1, the day the candidate's campaign treasurer appointment is filed,
	or the first day after the period covered by the last report
	required to be filed under this subchapter, as applicable, and
	continuing through June 30 [December 31].
	(d)  The third report shall be filed not later than October
	15. The report covers the period beginning July 1, the day the
	candidate's campaign treasurer appointment is filed, or the first
	day after the period covered by the last report required to be filed
	under this subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through
	September 30.
	(e)  The fourth report shall be filed not later than January
	15. The report covers the period beginning October 1, the day the
	candidate's campaign treasurer appointment is filed, or the first
	day after the period covered by the last report required to be filed
	under this subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through
	December 31.
	SECTION 8.  Section 254.123, Election Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 254.123.  QUARTERLY [SEMIANNUAL] REPORTING SCHEDULE
	FOR COMMITTEE. (a) The campaign treasurer of a specific-purpose
	committee shall file four [two] reports for each year as provided by
	this section.
	(b)  The first report shall be filed not later than April
	[July] 15. The report covers the period beginning January 1, the
	day the committee's campaign treasurer appointment is filed, or the
	first day after the period covered by the last report required to be
	filed under this subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through
	March 31 [June 30].
	(c)  The second report shall be filed not later than July
	[January] 15. The report covers the period beginning April [July]
	1, the day the committee's campaign treasurer appointment is filed,
	or the first day after the period covered by the last report
	required to be filed under this subchapter, as applicable, and
	continuing through June 30 [December 31].
	(d)  The third report shall be filed not later than October
	15. The report covers the period beginning July 1, the day the
	committee's campaign treasurer appointment is filed, or the first
	day after the period covered by the last report required to be filed
	under this subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through
	September 30.
	(e)  The fourth report shall be filed not later than January
	15. The report covers the period beginning October 1, the day the
	committee's campaign treasurer appointment is filed, or the first
	day after the period covered by the last report required to be filed
	under this subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through
	December 31.
	SECTION 9.  Section 254.153, Election Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 254.153.  QUARTERLY [SEMIANNUAL] REPORTING SCHEDULE
	FOR COMMITTEE. (a) The campaign treasurer of a general-purpose
	committee shall file four [two] reports for each year as provided by
	this section.
	(b)  The first report shall be filed not later than April
	[July] 15. The report covers the period beginning January 1, the
	day the committee's campaign treasurer appointment is filed, or the
	first day after the period covered by the last report required to be
	filed under this subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through
	March 31 [June 30].
	(c)  The second report shall be filed not later than July
	[January] 15. The report covers the period beginning April [July]
	1, the day the committee's campaign treasurer appointment is filed,
	or the first day after the period covered by the last report
	required to be filed under this subchapter, as applicable, and
	continuing through June 30 [December 31].
	(d)  The third report shall be filed not later than October
	15. The report covers the period beginning July 1, the day the
	committee's campaign treasurer appointment is filed, or the first
	day after the period covered by the last report required to be filed
	under this subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through
	September 30.
	(e)  The fourth report shall be filed not later than January
	15. The report covers the period beginning October 1, the day the
	committee's campaign treasurer appointment is filed, or the first
	day after the period covered by the last report required to be filed
	under this subchapter, as applicable, and continuing through
	December 31.
	SECTION 10.  Section 254.184(b), Election Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	(b)  A candidate or committee filing under this subchapter is
	not required to file any reports of political contributions and
	political expenditures other than the quarterly [semiannual]
	reports required to be filed not later than April 15, July 15,
	October 15, and January 15.
	SECTION 11.  Section 254.0401(f), Election Code, is
	repealed.
	SECTION 12.  This Act takes effect January 1, 2016.