85R4287 ATP-F     By: Stephenson H.B. No. 756       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to restrictions on the name of a general-purpose political   committee.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Sections 252.0011(a), (b), and (c), Election   Code, are amended to read as follows:          (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b) or (c), a person is   ineligible for appointment as a campaign treasurer if:                (1)  the person is the campaign treasurer of a   political committee that does not file a report required by Chapter   254; or                (2)  the campaign treasurer appointment of the person   was terminated under Section 252.0131(a) for violating Section   252.003(e).          (b)  The period for which a person is ineligible under   Subsection (a)(1) [(a)] for appointment as a campaign treasurer   ends on the date on which the political committee in connection with   which the person's ineligibility arose has filed each report   required by Chapter 254 that was not timely filed or has paid all   fines and penalties in connection with the failure to file the   report. The period for which a person is ineligible under   Subsection (a)(2) for appointment as a campaign treasurer ends on   the fourth anniversary of the date the person's campaign treasurer   appointment was terminated under Section 252.0131(a) for violating   Section 252.003(e).          (c)  A person is not ineligible for appointment as a campaign   treasurer under Subsection (a)(1) [(a) does not apply to a person]   if, in any semiannual reporting period prescribed by Chapter 254:                (1)  the political committee in connection with which   the person's ineligibility arose did not accept political   contributions that in the aggregate exceed $5,000 or make political   expenditures that in the aggregate exceed $5,000; and                (2)  the candidate who or political committee that   subsequently appoints the person does not accept political   contributions that in the aggregate exceed $5,000 or make political   expenditures that in the aggregate exceed $5,000.          SECTION 2.  The heading to Section 252.003, Election Code,   is amended to read as follows:          Sec. 252.003.  CONTENTS OF APPOINTMENT BY GENERAL-PURPOSE   COMMITTEE; COMMITTEE NAME.          SECTION 3.  Section 252.003, Election Code, is amended by   adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:          (e)  The name of a general-purpose committee may not contain   the name of a political party without providing on every   publication disseminated by the committee a disclaimer that the   committee is not affiliated in any way with the party in text not   smaller than half the size of the text in which the name of the   committee appears.  The commission shall determine whether the name   of a general-purpose committee is in violation of this prohibition   and shall immediately notify the campaign treasurer of the   offending committee of that determination.          SECTION 4.  Section 252.0131(a), Election Code, is amended   to read as follows:          (a)  The commission by rule shall adopt a process by which   the commission may terminate the campaign treasurer appointment of   an inactive candidate or political committee that is required to   file a campaign treasurer appointment with the commission and by   which the commission shall terminate the campaign treasurer   appointment of a general-purpose committee that violates Section   252.003(e). The governing body of a political subdivision by   ordinance or order may adopt a process by which the clerk or   secretary, as applicable, of the political subdivision may   terminate the campaign treasurer appointment of an inactive   candidate or political committee that is required to file a   campaign treasurer appointment with the clerk or secretary. For   purposes of this section, a candidate or political committee is   inactive if the candidate or committee:                (1)  has never filed or has ceased to file reports under   Chapter 254;                (2)  in the case of a candidate, has not been elected to   an office for which a candidate is required to file a campaign   treasurer appointment with the authority who is seeking to   terminate the candidate's campaign treasurer appointment; and                (3)  has not filed:                      (A)  a final report under Section 254.065 or   254.125; or                      (B)  a dissolution report under Section 254.126 or   254.159.          SECTION 5.  Not later than January 1, 2018, the Texas Ethics   Commission shall determine whether the name of a general-purpose   political committee that filed a campaign treasurer appointment   before September 1, 2017, violates Section 252.003(e), Election   Code, as added by this Act, and shall notify the campaign treasurer   of the political committee of that determination.          SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.