85R2222 MK-F     By: King of Parker H.B. No. 427       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to the award of attorney's fees incurred in a suit   involving unlawful campaign contributions or campaign   expenditures.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 253.131, Election Code, is amended by   amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsections (f) and (g) to read   as follows:          (d)  In this section, "damages" means:                (1)  twice the value of the unlawful contribution or   expenditure; and                (2)  reasonable attorney's fees incurred in the suit,   as provided by Subsections (f) and (g).          (f)  The court may award attorney's fees to the plaintiff   only if:                (1)  the court renders judgment in the plaintiff's   favor; and                (2)  the plaintiff provides sufficient evidence that   the plaintiff provided proper notice of the violation of this   chapter to the defendant before the plaintiff filed suit under this   section.           (g)  It is an affirmative defense to an award of attorney's   fees under Subsection (d) that the defendant, on receiving notice   of the violation of this chapter from the plaintiff, corrected the   violation within:                (1)  14 days of receiving the notice, if the violation   of this chapter occurred not more than 90 days before the relevant   election; or                (2)  30 days of receiving the notice, if the violation   of this chapter occurred more than 90 days before the relevant   election.           SECTION 2.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to   a campaign contribution or campaign expenditure made on or after   the effective date of this Act. A campaign contribution or campaign   expenditure made before the effective date of this Act is subject to   the law in effect at the time the contribution or expenditure was   made, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.          SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.