HBA-NMO H.B. 2612 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2612
By: Greenberg
Elections
3/28/99
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Current law does not require a political action committee (PAC) based
outside the state to report contributions to Texas candidates unless 20
percent of the PAC's contributions are made to candidates in this state.
H.B. 2612 provides that an out-of-state PAC must report all contributions
to Texas candidates.  

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 253.031, Election Code, to delete Subsection
(e), which provides that this section (Contribution and Expenditure Without
Campaign Treasurer Prohibited) does not apply to an out-of-state political
action committee. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Subchapter B, Chapter 254, Election Code, by adding
Section 254.0312, as follows: 

Sec. 254.0312.  REPORTING BY OUT-OF-STATE POLITICAL COMMITTEE. Provides
that each report filed under this chapter by an out-of-state political
committee, instead of the information required by Sections 254.031(a)(3),
(5), and (6), relating to the general contents of reports, must include: 

(1) the amount of political expenditures in connection with elections in
this state that in the aggregate exceed $50 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; 

(2) 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 in connection with elections in this state of $50 or
less made during the reporting period; and 

(3) the total amount of all political contributions accepted and the total
amount of all political expenditures in connection with elections in this
state made during the reporting period. 

SECTION 3.  Repealer:  Sections 251.005 (Out-of-State Committees Excluded)
and 253.032 (Limitation on Contribution by Out-of-State Committee),
Election Code. 

SECTION 4.  Makes application of this Act prospective.

SECTION 5.  Emergency clause.