HBA-CBW S.B. 720 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 720 By: West, Royce Judicial Affairs 5/4/2001 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current law prohibits judicial candidates or officeholders or specific-purpose committees from using political contributions to make political contributions to other candidates or officeholders, regardless of whether the contribution is make knowingly or unknowingly. Senate Bill 720 prohibits a judicial candidate, judicial officeholder, or a specific-purpose committee for supporting or opposing a judicial candidate or assisting a judicial officeholder from using a political contribution to knowingly make certain political contributions. 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 Senate Bill 720 amends the Election Code to prohibit a judicial candidate, judicial officeholder, or a specific-purpose committee for supporting or opposing a judicial candidate or assisting a judicial officeholder from using a political contribution to knowingly make certain political contributions. The bill prohibits a judicial officeholder or a specific-purpose committee for assisting a judicial officeholder, in any calendar year in which the office held is not on the ballot from using a political contribution to knowingly make a political contribution to a political committee that, when aggregated with each other political contribution to a political committee in that calendar year, exceeds $250. The bill provides that these provisions do not apply to a political contribution made to the principal political committee of the state executive committee or a county executive committee of a political party that: _is made in return for goods or services, including political advertising or a campaign communication, the value of which substantially equals or exceeds the amount of the contribution; or _is in an amount that is not more than the candidate's or officeholder's pro rata share of the committee's normal overhead and administrative or operating costs. The bill provides the formula by which a candidate's or officeholder's pro rata share of costs related to a political committee's normal overhead and administrative or operating costs is computed. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.