Bill Text: TX SB1706 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to restrictions on political contributions by out-of-state contributors; providing a civil penalty.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-03-16 - Referred to State Affairs [SB1706 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SB1706-Introduced.html
| 88R2529 JG-D | ||
| By: Middleton | S.B. No. 1706 | |
|
|
||
|
|
||
| relating to restrictions on political contributions by | ||
| out-of-state contributors; providing a civil penalty. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 253, Election Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 253.044 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 253.044. POLITICAL CONTRIBUTION LIMITS RELATED TO | ||
| OUT-OF-STATE CONTRIBUTORS. (a) A candidate or an officeholder may | ||
| not knowingly accept, for an election in which the candidate's or | ||
| officeholder's name appears on the ballot, political contributions | ||
| that: | ||
| (1) are made by a person with a principal address that | ||
| is located outside this state; and | ||
| (2) in the aggregate exceed: | ||
| (A) $5,000 if the election is for a statewide | ||
| office; | ||
| (B) $2,500 if the election is for a district | ||
| office; or | ||
| (C) $1,000 if the election is for a county | ||
| office. | ||
| (b) A candidate or an officeholder who accepts a political | ||
| contribution in violation of Subsection (a) shall return the | ||
| contribution to the contributor not later than the later of: | ||
| (1) the last day of the reporting period under Chapter | ||
| 254 during which the contribution was accepted; or | ||
| (2) the fifth day after the date the contribution was | ||
| accepted. | ||
| (c) A political committee may not make a political | ||
| contribution to a candidate or an officeholder for an election in | ||
| which the candidate's or officeholder's name appears on the ballot | ||
| if, during the preceding reporting period under Chapter 254, more | ||
| than 50 percent of the political contributions accepted by the | ||
| committee were made by persons with a principal address that is | ||
| located outside this state. | ||
| (d) A person who violates this section is liable for a civil | ||
| penalty not to exceed three times the amount of the political | ||
| contributions accepted or made in violation of this section. The | ||
| commission may impose a civil penalty against a person under this | ||
| subsection only after a formal hearing is held as provided by | ||
| Subchapter E, Chapter 571, Government Code. | ||
| (e) The commission shall adopt rules as necessary to | ||
| implement this section. | ||
| SECTION 2. Section 253.044, Election Code, as added by this | ||
| Act, applies only to a political contribution made on or after the | ||
| effective date of this Act. A contribution made before the | ||
| effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect when the | ||
| contribution was made and is not aggregated with contributions made | ||
| on or after that date. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
