Bill Text: TX HB859 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the acceptance of political contributions by a member of the Railroad Commission of Texas and of political contributions made in connection with the office of railroad commissioner.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-02-25 - Referred to State Affairs [HB859 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB859-Introduced.html
| 86R4685 SOS-D | ||
| By: Anchia | H.B. No. 859 | |
|
|
||
|
|
||
| relating to the acceptance of political contributions by a member | ||
| of the Railroad Commission of Texas and of political contributions | ||
| made in connection with the office of railroad commissioner. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 81, Natural Resources | ||
| Code, is amended by adding Section 81.010045 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 81.010045. CERTAIN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS | ||
| RESTRICTED. (a) In this section, "political committee" and | ||
| "political contribution" have the meanings assigned by Section | ||
| 251.001, Election Code. | ||
| (b) A commissioner may not knowingly accept a political | ||
| contribution given or offered with the intention that it be used in | ||
| connection with a campaign for or the holding of any elective | ||
| office, including the office of commissioner, except during the | ||
| period: | ||
| (1) beginning 17 months before the date of the next | ||
| general election at which the commissioner's office is filled; and | ||
| (2) ending on the 30th day after the date of that | ||
| election. | ||
| (c) A person other than a commissioner may not knowingly | ||
| accept a political contribution given or offered with the intention | ||
| that it be used in connection with a campaign for the office of | ||
| commissioner, except: | ||
| (1) during the period: | ||
| (A) beginning 17 months before the date of the | ||
| next general election at which any commissioner's office is filled; | ||
| and | ||
| (B) ending on the 30th day after the date of that | ||
| election; or | ||
| (2) during the period beginning on the date a vacancy | ||
| in the office of commissioner occurs and ending on the date that | ||
| vacancy is filled. | ||
| (d) A commissioner may not knowingly accept a political | ||
| contribution, and shall refuse a political contribution that is | ||
| received, from a party in a contested case before the commission or | ||
| a political committee affiliated with such a party during the | ||
| period: | ||
| (1) beginning on the date notice of the hearing in the | ||
| contested case is given; and | ||
| (2) ending on: | ||
| (A) the 30th day after the date the decision in | ||
| the contested case is rendered; or | ||
| (B) if a request for rehearing is filed: | ||
| (i) the date the request is denied; or | ||
| (ii) the 30th day after the date the | ||
| decision after rehearing is rendered. | ||
| (e) A commissioner shall return a political contribution | ||
| that is received and refused under Subsection (d) not later than the | ||
| 30th day after the date the commissioner received the contribution. | ||
| (f) The commission shall adopt all rules necessary to | ||
| implement Subsections (d) and (e), including rules that: | ||
| (1) direct the commission to maintain a list of the | ||
| contested cases before the commission and the parties to each case | ||
| in order to aid the commissioners in complying with those | ||
| subsections; and | ||
| (2) ensure that each notice of a hearing in a contested | ||
| case that is issued by the commission or a commissioner contains | ||
| information about the political contributions prohibited under | ||
| Subsection (d). | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. | ||
