By: Darby H.B. No. 5111       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to the regulation of campaign treasurer appointments and   related matters and the content of and posting of information   contained in a campaign treasurer appointment; providing a civil   penalty.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  This Act may be cited as the Treasurer   Transparency Act.          SECTION 2.  Chapter 252, Election Code, is amended by adding   Section 252.0015 to read as follows:          Sec. 252.0015.  CAMPAIGN TREASURER APPOINTMENT ELIGIBILITY.   (a) Except as provided by Subsections (b) and (c), a person is   eligible for appointment as a campaign treasurer if the person is:                (1)  18 years of age or older; and                (2)  a legal resident of this state.          (b)  A person is not eligible for appointment as a campaign   treasurer for a candidate if:                (1)  the person is currently the campaign treasurer for   a political committee, other than a specific-purpose committee for   supporting the candidate;                (2)  the person has been convicted of an offense under   Chapter 276;                (3)  the commission has made a determination during the   five-year period preceding the date of the person's appointment   that the person violated a law within the commission's   jurisdiction;                (4)  the person is required to register as a lobbyist   under Chapter 305, Government Code; or                (5)  the person is an employee of or contracted by a   political committee.          (c)  A person is not eligible for appointment as a campaign   treasurer for a political committee if:                (1)  the person is currently the campaign treasurer   for:                      (A)  a candidate; or                      (B)  a political committee that made expenditures   exceeding $25,000 during the most recent reporting period under   Chapter 254;                (2)  the person has been convicted of an offense under   Chapter 276; or                (3)  the commission has made a determination during the   five-year period preceding the date of the person's appointment   that the person violated a law within the commission's   jurisdiction.          (d)  If the commission receives notice that a candidate's or   political committee's campaign treasurer was ineligible under   Subsection (b) or (c) at the time of the appointment or became   ineligible under that subsection after the appointment, the   commission shall conduct an investigation to determine whether the   campaign treasurer is ineligible for appointment. If the   commission determines that a campaign treasurer is ineligible for   appointment, the commission shall provide notice through certified   mail of that determination to the campaign treasurer and the   candidate or political committee as soon as practicable after   making the determination.          (e)  The notice the commission provides under Subsection (d)   must include:                (1)  the phrase "FORMAL NOTICE OF CAMPAIGN TREASURER   INELIGIBILITY";                (2)  the specific violation of this section for which   the campaign treasurer is ineligible for appointment;                (3)  an explanation that the campaign treasurer has the   opportunity to correct the violation in accordance with Subsection   (f), as applicable; and                (4)  notice that the campaign treasurer may be subject   to a civil penalty under Subsection (g).          (f)  Unless a campaign treasurer corrects or remedies a   violation of this section for which the campaign treasurer is   ineligible for appointment before that date, a candidate or   political committee shall appoint a new campaign treasurer as   provided by this chapter not later than the 14th business day after   the date:                (1)  the candidate or political committee becomes aware   that the candidate's or political committee's campaign treasurer   became ineligible under Subsection (b) or (c) after the   appointment; or                (2)  the candidate or political committee receives   notice under Subsection (d) that the candidate's or political   committee's campaign treasurer is ineligible.          (g)  A candidate or political committee that violates this   section is liable for a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed   three times the amount of political contributions or expenditures   the candidate or political committee accepted or made during the   period after the candidate or political committee received notice   under Subsection (d) and while the candidate or political committee   was still in violation of this section.          (h)  Subsections (b)(2), (3), (4), and (5) do not apply to a   person who is a candidate and who appoints the person as the   person's own campaign treasurer under Section 252.004.          SECTION 3.  Section 252.002, Election Code, is amended to   read as follows:          Sec. 252.002.  CONTENTS OF APPOINTMENT.  (a)  A campaign   treasurer appointment must be in writing and include:                (1)  the campaign treasurer's name;                (1-a)  the campaign treasurer's date of birth;                (2)  the campaign treasurer's residence [or business   street] address;                (3)  the campaign treasurer's telephone number or   verified e-mail address;                (3-a)  the campaign treasurer's driver's license   number, state identification card number, or social security   number; [and]                (4)  the name of the person making the appointment; and                (5)  an affidavit signed by the person making the   appointment that the campaign treasurer is not ineligible for   appointment under Section 252.0015.          (b)  A candidate or political committee that files its   campaign treasurer appointment with the commission must notify the   commission in writing of any change in the campaign treasurer's   residence address not later than the 10th business day after the   date on which the change occurs.          SECTION 4.  Section 252.0031(b), Election Code, is amended   to read as follows:          (b)  The name of a specific-purpose committee for supporting   or opposing a candidate for an office specified by Section   252.005(1) must include the name of the candidate that the   committee supports or opposes.          SECTION 5.  Section 252.015(c), Election Code, is amended to   read as follows:          (c)  Sections 252.0015, 252.011, 252.012, 252.013, and   252.014 apply to the appointment and removal of an assistant   campaign treasurer.          SECTION 6.  Section 254.0401, Election Code, is amended by   adding Subsection (e-2) to read as follows:          (e-2)  Before making a report filed under this chapter   available on the Internet, the commission or authority with whom   the report is filed must remove the following information:                (1)  the campaign treasurer's date of birth;                (2)  the campaign treasurer's residence address, other   than city, state, and zip code; and                (3)  the campaign treasurer's driver's license number,   state identification card number, or social security number.          SECTION 7.  Section 252.0011, Election Code, is repealed.          SECTION 8.  (a) As soon as practicable after the effective   date of this Act but not later than January 1, 2026, the Texas   Ethics Commission shall adopt rules necessary to implement the   changes in law made by this Act.          (b)  The changes in law made by this Act to Chapter 252,   Election Code, apply only to a campaign treasurer appointment made   on or after January 1, 2026. A campaign treasurer appointment made   before January 1, 2026, is governed by the law in effect on the date   the appointment was made, and the former law is continued in effect   for that purpose.          SECTION 9.  (a)  Notwithstanding Section 252.0015, Election   Code, as added by this Act, a candidate or political committee is   not subject to a civil penalty under that section until on or after   May 1, 2026.          (b)  If before May 1, 2026, the Texas Ethics Commission   determines that a candidate's or political committee's campaign   treasurer is ineligible for appointment under Section 252.0015,   Election Code, as added by this Act, the commission shall provide to   the candidate or political committee, as appropriate, and the   campaign treasurer the notice required under that section.  In   addition to the contents of the notice required under Section   252.0015, Election Code, as added by this Act, the notice required   by this section must include:                (1)  an explanation that the candidate or political   committee is not subject to a civil penalty under that section until    on or after May 1, 2026; and                (2)  a statement advising the candidate or political   committee to correct the violation before May 1, 2026.          (c)  Notice provided under Subsection (b) of this section   does not constitute notice under Section 252.0015(d), Election   Code, as added by this Act, for the purpose of enforcing that   section.          SECTION 10.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.