RBT C.S.H.B. 4 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 4
By: Gallego
Elections
5/8/1999
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The amount of money invested in campaigns is a significant factor in many
elections.  Some candidates have taken full advantage of existing
provisions regarding fund raising, especially when receiving funds from
national political organizations. 

C.S.H.B. 4 will provide more definite guidelines for candidates and
officeholders to follow when raising and spending money during campaigns,
with an emphasis on rules for disclosure of campaign funds.  This bill
regulates campaign committee formation, and the reporting of contributions,
loans, and gifts. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 84.001,  Election Code, as follows:

Sec. 84.001.  APPLICATION REQUIRED.  Prohibits an applicant from using an
application form for an early voting ballot by mail that is part of or
included with a campaign communication or political advertising, as defined
by Section 251.001, unless the application form is printed with the return
address of the early voting clerk.  Makes conforming changes. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 251.001, Election Code,  to redefine
"contribution," "campaign contribution," "officeholder contribution," and
"general-purpose committee," and to define "unidentified measure" and
"principal political committee of a candidate or officeholder."   

SECTION 3.  Amends Subchapter A, Chapter 251, Election Code, by adding
Sections 251.010251.012, as follows: 

Sec.  251.010.  PRINCIPAL POLITICAL COMMITTEE.  (a) Provides that this
section applies only to: a statewide office; the office of state senator;
the office of state representative; the office of member; State Board of
Education; or the office of chief justice or justice, court of appeals.   

(b) Requires a candidate or officeholder to designate in writing a
political committee to serve as the person's principal political committee. 

(c) Provides that the designation under Subsection (b) must be made within
15 days of the date the person becomes a candidate or officeholder and be
filed with the Texas Ethics Commission (commission). 

(d) Prohibits a candidate or officeholder from having more than one
principal political committee at a time and from having more than one
principal committee.  Provides that a candidate who becomes an officeholder
is not required to designate a new principal political committee.
Subsection (e) provides an exception to this subsection. 
 
(e) Authorizes an officeholder, other than a judicial officeholder, who
becomes a candidate for a judicial office, to designate a second principal
political committee in connection with that candidacy.  Authorizes a
judicial officeholder who becomes a candidate for a nonjudicial office to
designate a second principal political committee in connection with that
candidacy. 

(f) Provides that a prohibition or restriction imposed by this title on a
candidate or officeholder applies to the principal political committee of a
candidate or officeholder. 

(g) Provides that this section does not require a candidate for or holder
of an office other than an office listed in Subsection (a) to designate a
principal political committee. 

Sec.  251.011.  LIABILITY OF CANDIDATE OR OFFICEHOLDER FOR ACT OR OMISSION
OF PRINCIPAL POLITICAL COMMITTEE.  Provides that a candidate or
officeholder is civilly liable for an act or omission by the person's
principal political committee in connection with a requirement or
prohibition prescribed by this title only if the person authorized,
requested, commanded, performed, or recklessly or negligently tolerated the
act or omission.  Provides that this section does not preclude the
imposition of other civil or criminal penalties against a candidate,
officeholder, political committee, or an agent of a candidate,
officeholder, or political committee.  Authorizes the commission, subject
to the approval of the attorney general, to contract with a nongovernmental
entity to collect a penalty, if the commission imposes a civil penalty
under Section 571.173 (Civil Penalty for Delay or Violation), Government
Code, for a violation of this title and the penalty is not paid before the
120th day after the date it is imposed.  Requires the penalty to be
trebled, not to exceed the maximum provided in the rules of the commission,
and interest, pre-judgment and post-judgment fees, private attorney's fees,
costs incurred by the attorney general, and court costs to be assessed. 

SECTION 4.  Amends Chapter 252, Election Code, by adding Section 252.0033,
as follows: 

Sec.  252.0033.  CONTENTS OF APPOINTMENT BY PRINCIPAL POLITICAL COMMITTEE.
Provides that in addition to the information required by Section 252.002, a
campaign treasurer appointment by a principal political committee of a
candidate or officeholder must include the candidate's or officeholder's
telephone number and a statement, signed by the candidate or officeholder,
that the candidate or officeholder is aware of the nepotism law.  Provides
that a campaign treasurer appointment that is filed without using the
officially prescribed form is not invalid because it does not contain a
statement, signed by the candidate or officeholder, that the candidate or
officeholder is aware of the nepotism law. 

SECTION 5.  Amends Section 253.031, Election Code, to prohibit a candidate
for an office other than an office covered by Section 251.010 from
knowingly accepting a campaign contribution or making or authorizing a
campaign expenditure at a time when a campaign treasurer appointment for
the candidate is not in effect.  Prohibits a candidate for or holder of an
office covered by Section 251.010 from knowingly accepting a political
contribution as authorized by Section 253.0311 or making or authorizing a
political expenditure as authorized by Section 253.0312 at a time when a
campaign treasurer appointment for the principal political committee of the
candidate or officeholder is not in effect.  Makes conforming changes. 

SECTION 6.  Amends Subchapter B, Chapter 253, Election Code, by adding
Sections 253.0311 and 253.0312, as follows: 

Sec.  253.0311.  ACCEPTANCE OF POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS BY CERTAIN
CANDIDATES AND OFFICEHOLDERS.  Prohibits a candidate or officeholder who is
required to designate a principal political committee from knowingly
accepting a political contribution in connection with the person's own
candidacy or office.  Authorizes a candidate or officeholder who is
required to designate a principal political committee to accept a political
contribution on behalf of the person's principal political committee unless
the committee itself would be prohibited from accepting the contribution.
Provides that a person who violates this section is liable for a civil
penalty up to $4,000. 

Sec.  253.0312.  CONTRIBUTIONS OR EXPENDITURES BY CERTAIN CANDIDATES AND
OFFICEHOLDERS FROM PERSONAL FUNDS.  Prohibits a candidate or officeholder
who is required to designate a principal political committee from knowingly
making a political contribution or political expenditure from the person's
personal funds in connection with the person's own candidacy or office.
Authorizes a candidate or officeholder who is required to designate a
principal political committee to make a political expenditure from the
person's personal funds if the person reports the expenditure as an
expenditure that may, but is not required, to be reported as provided by
Section 253.035(h) or as a loan as provided by Section 253.0351.
Authorizes a candidate or officeholder who is required to designate a
principal political committee to make a political contribution, including
but not limited to, in-kind contributions, from the person's personal funds
to the person's principal political committee.  Provides that a person who
violates this section is liable for a civil penalty not to exceed $4,000.  

SECTION 7.  Amends Sections 253.034(a)-(c), Election Code, to specify that
a person is prohibited from knowingly making a political contribution to
the principal political committee of a statewide officeholder or a member
of the legislature during the period beginning 30 days before the convening
of a regular legislative session, continuing through its final adjournment.
Makes conforming and nonsubstantive changes. 

SECTION 8.  Amends Section 253.035(h), Election Code, to include Section
253.162 among the specified exceptions to this section. 

SECTION 9.  Amends Section 253.037(c), Election Code, to define a
multicandidate political committee as defined by 2 U.S.C. Section 441a and
its subsequent amendments, rather than the Federal Election Campaign Act. 

SECTION 10.  Amends Section 253.038(a), Election Code, to subject the
principal political committee of a candidate or officeholder to the
restrictions imposed by this section. 

SECTION 11.  Amends Section 253.041(a), Election Code, to subject the
principal political committee of a candidate or officeholder to the
restrictions imposed by this section. 

SECTION 12.  Amends the heading to Subchapter A, Chapter 254, Election
Code, as follows: 

SUBCHAPTER A.  New title:  RECORDKEEPING; GENERAL PROVISIONS

SECTION 13.  Amends Subchapter A, Chapter 254, Election Code, by adding
Section 254.002, as follows: 

Sec.  254.002.  PRESUMPTION OF BEST EFFORTS.  Provides that if a provision
of this chapter requires a person to use the person's best efforts to
obtain information to be included in a report under this chapter concerning
a person making a political contribution, the person is presumed to have
used the person's best efforts if the person can show that the person
requested the required information at the time the contribution was
solicited or accepted. Requires a person who receives an unsolicited
political contribution to, within 30 days of receiving the contribution,
request in writing that the person making the contribution provide any
information required by Section 254.031 that was not provided with the
contribution. Provides that a request is not necessary if the person
provides all the required information. 

SECTION 14.  Amends Section 254.031, Election Code, to provide that each
report filed under this chapter must include the amount of political
contributions from each person that exceed $100, rather than $50, and in
addition to the information already required, if the contributor is an
individual, the individual's principal occupation or job title and the full
name of the individual's employer and if the contribution is an in-kind
contribution, a description of the property or services contributed.
Provides that each report filed under this chapter must include the amount
of loans that are made  during the reporting period that exceed $100,
rather than $50.  Provides that each report filed under this chapter must
include the amount of expenditures that are made during the reporting
period that exceed $100, rather than $50, and  if the expenditure is an
in-kind contribution, a description of the property or services
contributed.  Provides that each report filed under this chapter must
include the total amount or a specific listing of the political
contributions of $100 or less accepted and the total amount or a specific
listing of the political expenditures of $100 or less made.  Sets forth
additional information that must be included in reports regarding loans in
excess of $100 that are outstanding as of the last day of the reporting
period, other than a loan reported under Subdivision (2).  Provides that a
person is considered to be in compliance with the requirements concerning
reporting contributions in excess of $100 if the person or the person's
campaign treasurer shows that best efforts have been used to obtain and
report the principal occupation or job title of a person making a political
contribution.  Requires a person required to file a report to report an
accepted in-kind political contribution as both a political contribution
accepted and a political expenditure made.  

SECTION 15.  Amends Section 254.036, Election Code, by amending Subsection
(a) and adding Subsection (h), as follows: 

(a) Provides that a report filed under this chapter must be hand-delivered
to the authority with whom it is required to be filed or mailed from and
postmarked in the city in which the candidate or officeholder resides, the
city in which the candidate's, officeholder's, or committee's campaign
headquarters are located, or the city in which the office the candidate or
officeholder seeks or holds is located, unless the person filing the report
is not a candidate or officeholder, the principal political committee of a
candidate of officeholder, or a specificpurpose committee for supporting or
opposing a candidate or assisting an officeholder, in which case the report
may be mailed in any city.   

(h) Provides that a report filed in any other manner is not considered to
have been filed in violation of these provisions if the report is received
by the authority with whom it is required to be filed before the applicable
deadline. 

SECTION 16.  Amends Section 254.038, Election Code, as follows:

Sec.  254.038.  New title:  ADDITIONAL REPORTS BY CERTAIN POLITICAL
COMMITTEES.  Requires persons, who are candidates for statewide office,
state senator, or state representative and have an opponent whose name is
to appear on the ballot and whose principal political committee accepts
political contributions from a person that in the aggregate exceed $1,000
during the reporting period beginning the ninth day before election day and
ending at 12 noon the second day before election day, to file additional
reports. Requires a general-purpose committee, that accepts political
contributions from a person in excess of $5,000 or makes direct campaign
expenditures supporting or opposing a single candidate that in the
aggregate exceed $5,000 or a group of candidates that in the aggregate
exceed $15,000 during the reporting period beginning, the ninth day before
election day and ending at 12 noon the second day before election day, to
file additional reports.  Requires a principal political committee of a
candidate or officeholder or a specific-purpose committee that is required
to file reports under this chapter and accepts political contributions from
a person that in the aggregate exceed $5,000, other than previously listed
political committees, a principal political committee required to file
reports with the commission in connection with an office described by
Section 252.005(5), or a specific-purpose committee required to file
reports with the commission in connection with a measure described by
Section 252.007(5), during the reporting period beginning the ninth day
before election day and ending at 12 noon the second day before election
day, to file additional reports.  Makes conforming changes. 

SECTION 17.  Amends Subchapter B, Chapter 254, Election Code, by adding
Section 254.0381, as follows: 

Sec.  254.0381.  ADDITIONAL REPORTS OF CERTAIN DIRECT CAMPAIGN
EXPENDITURES.  (a) Requires a person other than the principal political
committee of the state executive committee or a county executive committee
of a political party that makes  direct campaign expenditures that in the
aggregate exceed $5,000 for the purpose of supporting or opposing one or
more candidates covered by Section 251.010 during the period beginning the
ninth day before election day and ending at 12 noon on the second day
before election day to file a report.   

(b) Sets forth the required contents of each report required by this
section. 

(c) Requires a report filed under this section to be filed electronically
or by telephonic facsimile machine or overnight mail within 24 hours of
making the expenditure. 

(d) Authorizes the making of a direct campaign expenditure by a political
committee or other association that consists only of costs incurred in
contacting the committee's or association's dues-paying membership without
the report required by Subsection (a). 

(e) Provides that this section does not apply to a political expenditure
made by a candidate's principal political committee in connection with the
candidate's campaign. 

(f) Provides that Section 254.036 does not apply to a report required by
this section. 

SECTION 18.  Amends Section 254.0391(a), Election Code, to require the
principal political committee of a statewide officeholder, a member of the
legislature, or a candidate for statewide office or the legislature or a
specific-purpose committee for supporting or opposing a candidate for
statewide office or the legislature or for assisting a statewide
officeholder or a member of the legislature that accepts political
contributions during the period beginning on the date the governor signs a
proclamation calling a special legislative session and continuing through
the date of final adjournment, to report the contribution to the commission
within 30 days of final adjournment. Makes conforming changes. 

SECTION 19.  Amends Section 254.042(a), Election Code, to require the
commission to determine from any available evidence whether a report, other
than a report under Section 254.038, as opposed to other than a telegram
report under Sections 254.038 or 254.039, required to be filed with the
commission under this chapter is late. 

SECTION 20.  Amends Subchapter C, Chapter 254, Election Code, as follows:

SUBCHAPTER C.  New heading:  REPORTING BY CANDIDATE OR OFFICEHOLDER

Sec.  254.061.  ADDITIONAL CONTENTS OF REPORTS.  Includes officeholders in
the application of this section.  Provides that a notation that the
candidate or officeholder or an agent of the candidate or officeholder did
not solicit the political contribution or political expenditure from the
committee must be included in certain reports.  Provides that the report
must include the name of any person who made an offer of money to the
candidate or officeholder during the reporting period with the intent that
it be used in connection with the candidate's campaign or to defray
officeholder expenses that are not reimbursable with public money if the
offer was accepted and the offer is for $1,00 or more, the candidate or
officeholder has reason to believe the offer is for $1,000 or more, or the
offer is to cover 10 percent of more of the total anticipated costs of the
candidate's campaign.  Provides that the report filed not later than
January 15 of each odd-numbered year must also include the name of each
person who made an offer of money to the candidate or officeholder with the
intent that it be used in connection with the candidate's campaign or to
defray officeholder expenses that are not reimbursable with public money,
if the offer was accepted and the offered money was not received by the
candidate or officeholder, and the amount of the offer. Provides that the
information required by this subsection is for the period beginning January
1 of the preceding odd-numbered year or the date the candidate's campaign
treasurer appointment is filed, as applicable, and continuing through
December 31 of the preceding even-numbered year.  Makes conforming changes. 

Sec.  254.0611.  New title:  ADDITIONAL CONTENTS OF REPORTS BY CERTAIN
JUDICIAL CANDIDATES AND OFFICEHOLDERS.  Includes officeholders in the
application of the statute.  Makes a conforming change. 

Sec.  254.062.  New title:  REPORTS BY PRINCIPAL POLITICAL COMMITTEE OF
EXECUTIVE OR LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATE; ADDITIONAL CONTENTS.  Requires the
principal political committee of a candidate for an office covered by
Section 251.010 to comply with this chapter as if the committee were a
candidate or officeholder, and the candidate or officeholder is not
required to file separate reports.  Provides that each report by the
principal political committee of a candidate for an office covered by
Section 251.010 must include for each political expenditure made by the
candidate from the candidate's personal funds or other assets, the
information required by Section 254.031(a)(3).  Defines "principal
political committee of a candidate" for purposes of that section.  Deletes
the title and text of existing Section 254.062 relating to reportable
activities of an officeholder who becomes a candidate. 

Sec.  254.063.  New title:  SEMIANNUAL REPORTING SCHEDULE FOR CANDIDATE OR
OFFICEHOLDER.  Includes an officeholder in the application of this section.
Makes conforming changes. 

Sec.  254.065.  FINAL REPORT.  Includes an officeholder in the application
of this section. Makes conforming changes. 

Sec.  254.066.  AUTHORITY WITH WHOM REPORTS FILED.  Includes an
officeholder in the application of this section.   

SECTION 21.  Amends Section 254.121, Election Code, to provide that in
addition to the contents for each report required by Section 254.031, each
report must include the name of any person who made an offer of money to
the committee during the reporting period with the intent that it be used
in connection with a campaign fro elective office or on a measure, or to
defray officeholder expenses that are not reimbursable with public money,
if the offer was accepted and the offer is for more than $1,000, the
campaign treasurer has reason to believe the offer is for more than $1,000,
or the offer is to cover 10 percent or more of the total anticipated costs
of the campaign of a specific candidate supported by the committee or
concerning a specific measure supported or opposed by the committee.
Provides that the report filed not later than January 15 of each
odd-numbered year must also include the name of each person who made an
offer of money to the candidate or officeholder with the intent that it be
used in connection with the candidate's campaign or to defray officeholder
expenses that are not reimbursable with public money, if the offer was
accepted and the offered money was not received by the candidate or
officeholder, and the amount of the offer.  Provides that the information
required by this subsection is for the period beginning January 1 of the
preceding odd-numbered year or the date the candidate's campaign treasurer
appointment is filed, as applicable, and continuing through December 31 of
the preceding even-numbered year.  

SECTION 22.  Amends Section 254.126(a), Election Code, to provide that if a
specific-purpose committee for assisting only officeholders, rather than an
officeholder, expects no reportable activity to occur after the period
covered by a report the committee's campaign treasurer may designate the
report as a "dissolution" report. 

SECTION 23.  Amends Subchapter E, Chapter 254, Election Code, by adding
Section 254.1281, as follows: 

Sec.  254.1281.  NOTICE TO CANDIDATE AND OFFICEHOLDER RELATING TO INKIND
CONTRIBUTION.  Requires the committee's campaign treasurer to deliver
written notice of the amount of the contribution to the affected candidate
or officeholder by the end of the period covered by the report in which the
reportable activity occurs if a specificpurpose committee makes an in-kind
political contribution to a candidate or officeholder. Provides that the
notice must include the full name and address of the political committee
and its campaign treasurer and an indication that the committee is a
specific-purpose committee. 

SECTION 24.  Amends Section 254.151, Election Code, to delete existing
language to conform to  SECTION 14.  Removes the amount of each political
expenditure in the form of a political contribution made to a candidate or
officeholder that is returned to the committee during the reporting period,
from the list of information which must be included in a report.  Provides
that reports must contain the amount of expenditures from a corporation or
labor organization under Section 253.100 that in the aggregate exceed $100
and that are accepted during the reporting period by the committee, the
full name and address of the corporation or labor organization making the
expenditures, and the dates of the expenditures.  Provides that also
included in the report must be a separate page or pages identifying any
contribution from a corporation or labor organization made and accepted
under Subchapter D, Chapter 253, other than a contribution in the form of
an expenditure required to be reported by Subdivision (7) of this section. 

SECTION 25.  Amends Subchapter F, Chapter 254, Election Code, by adding
Section 254.1611, as follows: 

Sec.  254.1611.  NOTICE TO CANDIDATE AND OFFICEHOLDER RELATING TO INKIND
CONTRIBUTION.  Requires notice of the amount of a general-purpose
committee's in-kind political contribution to a candidate or officeholder
to be delivered to the affected candidate or officeholder as provided by
Section 254.1281 for a specific-purpose committee. 

SECTION 26.  Amends Section 254.201, Election Code, to require a former
officeholder or a person who was an unsuccessful candidate who has
unexpended political contributions after filing the last report required to
be filed by Subchapter C to file an annual report for each year in which
the person retains unexpended contributions.  Deletes existing text to make
conforming changes. 

SECTION 27.  Amends Section 254.203(a), Election Code, to include a
person's principal political committee within the application of this
section. 

SECTION 28.  Amends Section 254.204(a), Election Code, to make conforming
and nonsubstantive changes. 

SECTION 29. Amends Section 255.001(b), Election Code, to provide that this
section does not apply to a political site on the Internet that is
maintained by a political party, if each page that is part of the site
contains a statement that indicates that the site is political advertising,
contains the party's name and address, and contains the name of a person at
the party who can be contacted for information. 

SECTION 30.  Repealer: Sections 253.036, 253.100(d), and 254.039, Election
Code, and Subchapter D, Chapter 254, Election Code. 

SECTION 31.  Effective date: January 1, 2000.

SECTION 32.  Sets forth deadlines for the designation of a principal
political committee, the transfer to the committee of assets, and the
committee's assumption of liabilities of the person in the person's
capacity as a candidate or officeholder. 

SECTION 33.  Makes application of Chapter 254, Election Code, as amended by
this Act prospective, beginning January 1, 2000. 

SECTION 34.  Emergency clause.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

The substitute differs from the original by adding SECTIONS 3-14, 15-26,
and 29-33 of the substitute.  Please see the Section-by-Section Analysis
portion of this document for a complete analysis of those new SECTIONS in
the substitute. 

The substitute differs from the original by deleting SECTION 1 of the
original which proposed amendments to Chapter 253, Election Code, by adding
proposed Subchapter G, relating to restrictions on political contributions
and expenditures in connection with executive and legislative  offices.
The proposed subchapter, in Section 253.201 applied to a political
contribution or a political expenditure in connection with a statewide
office other than a judicial office, the office of state senator, the
office of state representative, or the office of member, State Board of
Education. Proposed Section 253.202 defined "principal political committee
of a candidate or officeholder" to mean a specific-purpose committee
established under Section 253.203 for supporting a candidate or assisting
an officeholder.  Proposed Section 253.203 required a candidate or
officeholder to designate in writing a specific-purpose committee to serve
as the person's principal political committee and set forth deadlines,
filing requirements, and restrictions for such committees. Proposed Section
253.204 set forth the  liability of candidate or officeholder for an act or
omission of a principal political committee.  Proposed Section  253.205
prohibited a candidate or officeholder from accepting a political
contribution for the person's own candidacy or office unless the
contribution is accepted on behalf of the person's principal political
committee and the principal political committee is authorized to accept it.
Proposed Section 253.206 placed limits on contributions by a child.
Proposed Section  253.207 set forth notice requirements for certain direct
campaign expenditures.  Proposed Section  253.208 established the fair
campaign spending fund.  Proposed  Section  253.209 authorized the
commission to publish a voter's guide.  

The substitute differs from the original in SECTION 1 (redesignated from
SECTION 2) by further amending Section 84.001, Election Code, to delete a
provision in the original that prohibited the use of an application form to
vote by mail unless the application form was provided by an individual,
candidate, or officeholder not working in concert with another person or by
the principal political committee of the state executive committee or a
county executive committee of a political party, and required in the
substitute that the form be printed with the return address of the early
voting clerk, whereas the original specified that the application form must
be returned directly to the county clerk. 

The substitute differs from the original in SECTION 2 (redesignated from
SECTION 3) by further amending Section 253.001, Election Code, which
redefined "general-purpose committee"and "political advertising," and
defined "unidentified measure" in the original, whereas the substitute
redefines "contribution," "campaign contribution," "officeholder
contribution," and "general-purpose committee," and defines "unidentified
measure" and "principal political committee of a candidate or
officeholder."   

The substitute differs from the original by deleting SECTION 4 of the
original to make conforming changes to the above deletions. 

The substitute differs from the original by deleting SECTION 5 of the
original to make conforming changes to the above deletions. 

The substitute differs from the original by deleting SECTION 6 of the
original which proposed amendments to Section 253.134, Election Code, which
would have added Subsection (b) authorizing the commission, subject to
approval of the attorney general, to contract with a nongovernmental entity
to collect civil penalties imposed under Section 571.173 (Civil Penalty for
Delay or Violation), Government Code, that remain unpaid for 120 days.  

The substitute differs from the original by further amending Section
254.031, Election Code, which was in SECTION 7 of the original, and as
amended therein would have provided that if a person's contributions to a
candidate or committee exceed $100 during a reporting period, the report
would have had to  contain the person's principal occupation or job title,
the full name of the person's employer, and, if the reporting individual is
a candidate or officeholder, the aggregate total of political contributions
for the office sought by the candidate or held by the officeholder which
was accepted from the person since the date of the last general election,
other than a contribution designated in writing for that general election.
The substitute addresses Section 254.031 in SECTION 14.  Please also see
the Section-by-Section Analysis portion of this document. 

The substitute differs from the original by further amending Section
254.061, Election Code, which was in SECTION 8 of the original and as
amended therein would have included the amount of each political
contribution or political expenditure in the list of items a candidate
would have been required to include in a report if the candidate received
notice under Section 254.128, Election Code (Notice To Candidate and
Officeholder of Contributions and Expenditures), or Section 254.161,
Election Code (Notice to Candidate and Officeholder of Contributions and
Expenditures).  The substitute deletes that provision and instead makes
other amendments to Section 254.061 in SECTION 20 of the substitute.
Please also see the Section-by-Section Analysis portion of this document. 

The substitute differs from the original by deleting SECTION 9 of the
original which would have amended Subchapter C, Chapter 254, Election Code,
by adding Section 254.0612, regarding additional contents of reports by
principal political committees of executive or legislative candidates. 

The substitute differs from the original by deleting SECTION 10 of the
original which would have amended Section 254.091, Election Code, and would
have added the amount of each political contribution or political
expenditure to the list of items an officeholder must include in a report
if the officeholder received notice under Section 254.128, Election Code
(Notice to Candidate and Officeholder of Contributions and Expenditures),
and Section 254.161, Election Code (Notice to Candidate and Officeholder of
Contributions and Expenditures). 

The substitute differs from the original by deleting SECTION 11 of the
original which would have amended Subchapter D, Chapter 254, Election Code,
by adding Section 254.0912, relating to additional contents for reports by
principal political committees of executive or legislative officeholders.   

The substitute differs from the original by deleting SECTION 12 of the
original which would have amended  Section 254.128, Election Code, and
would have included the amount of each political contribution accepted or
political expenditure made in the required notice under this subsection.
The proposed amendment would also have required a specific-purpose
committee that made a political expenditure that benefitted more than one
candidate or officeholder to allocate the expenditure proportionally in
compliance with rules adopted by the commission.  

The substitute differs from the original by deleting SECTION 13 of the
original which would have amended  Subchapter F, Chapter 254, Election
Code, by adding Sections 254.1511 (regarding additional contents of reports
by principal political committee of political party) and 254.1512
(regarding contents of reports of federally registered committee). 

The substitute differs from the original in SECTION 27 (redesignated from
SECTION 14) by further amending Section  254.203, Election Code, which
would have prohibited a person from retaining contributions covered by this
title, assets purchased with the contributions, or interest and other
income earned on the contributions for more than six years after the date
the person ceases to be an officeholder or the date of the most recent
election in which the person was a candidate, whichever is later, in the
original, whereas the substitute includes a person's principal political
committee within the application of that section. 

The substitute differs from the original in SECTION 28 (redesignated from
SECTION 15) by further amending Section 254.204, Election Code, which would
have included payments to the commission for deposit in the fair campaign
spending fund to the list of people and entities to whom a candidate or
former officeholder is required to remit any unexpended political
contributions, whereas the substitute makes conforming and nonsubstantive
changes. 

The substitute differs from the original by deleting SECTION 16 of the
original which would have amended Section 255.001(a), Election Code, and
would have included "copy" with other activities that a person was
prohibited from performing in the absence of appropriate disclosures in
political advertising.  Accordingly, the amendment would have prohibited
entering into a contract or other agreement to print, copy, publish, or
broadcast political advertising that does not indicate that it is political
advertising, and contain the full name and address of the person who caused
the advertising to be produced, the campaign treasurer of the candidate,
officeholder, or political committee on whose behalf the advertising is
produced, or the candidate, officeholder, or political committee on whose
behalf the advertising is produced.  

The substitute differs from the original by deleting SECTION 17 of the
original which would have amended Chapter 255, Election Code, by adding
Section 255.009, which required disclosure in  political advertising
concerning certain unpaid civil penalties.  

The substitute differs from the original by deleting SECTION 18 of the
original which would have amended Title 15, Election Code, by adding
Chapter 256, which regulated political consultant activities and reporting
and disclosure requirements. 

The substitute differs from the original by deleting SECTION 19 of the
original which contained the effective date and filing and reporting
deadlines. 

The substitute differs from the original by redesignating the emergency
clause in SECTION 20 of the original to SECTION 34 of the substitute.