HBA-NRS H.B. 442 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 442 By: Madden Elections 2/25/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, certain political contributions and expenditures over $50 must be reported. This amount may require an amount of work by a campaign's treasurer which is disproportionate to the degree of influence that the amount of such a contribution or expenditure likely represents. House Bill 442 allows certain contributions and expenditures under $100 to be exempt from the requirements for reporting and disclosure. 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. ANALYSIS House Bill 442 amends the Election Code to increase from $50 to $100 the maximum amount of a contribution that a judicial candidate or officeholder or a specific-purpose committee for supporting or opposing a judicial candidate may accept from certain persons associated with a law firm (Sec. 253.157). The bill increases from $50 to $100 the minimum amount for which a person or committee must report a loan and political contribution accepted and political expenditure made (Sec. 254.031). The bill sets forth that this increase also applies to the reports of political contributions by a judicial candidate and campaign treasurer of a general-purpose committee (Secs. 254.0611 and 254.151). The bill provides that reports by a legislative caucus must include each contribution from a person, other than a caucus member, that exceeds $100, rather than $50, and that is accepted by the legislative caucus, each loan made to the caucus that exceeds $100, rather than $50, and each expenditure made by the caucus that exceeds $100, rather than $50. General reports and reports by a legislative caucus must include the total amount or a specific listing of political contributions accepted and expenditures made of $100, rather than $50, or less during the reporting period (Secs. 254.031 and 254.0311). EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.