Rules
Adopted
ADOPTED RULES
At its February 12, 2008, meeting, the Texas Ethics Commission voted to adopt the following rules:
Out-of-State Committees
(Effective March 17, 2008)
Text of Adopted Rule
Special Pre-Election Reports By General-Purpose Committees
(Effective March 17, 2008)
Text of Adopted Rule
Additional Disclosure for the Comptroller
(Effective March 17, 2008)
Text of Adopted Rule
Out-of-State Committees
Text of Adopted Rule
The new language is italicized.
Chapter 20. REPORTING POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND EXPENDITURES
Subchapter A. GENERAL RULES
§ 20.13. Out-of-State Committees
(a) An out-of-state political committee is required to file reports for each reporting period under Subchapter F, Chapter 254, Election Code, in which the out-of-state political committee accepts political contributions or makes political expenditures in connection with a state or local election in Texas. Section 254.1581, Election Code, applies to a report required to be filed under this section. An out-of-state political committee that files reports electronically in another jurisdiction may comply with Section 254.1581, Election Code, by sending a letter to the commission within the time prescribed by that section specifying in detail where the electronic report may be found on the website of the agency with which the out-of-state political committee is required to file its reports. An out-of-state political committee that does not file reports electronically in another jurisdiction may comply with Section 254.1581, Election Code, by sending a copy of the cover sheets of the report and a copy of each page on which the committee reports a contribution or expenditure accepted or made in connection with a state or local election in Texas.
(b) An out-of-state political committee that files an appointment of campaign treasurer with a Texas filing authority is required to file reports under this title.
(c) A political committee must determine if it is an “out-of-state political committee” each time the political committee plans to make a political expenditure in Texas (other than an expenditure in connection with a campaign for a federal office or an expenditure for a federal officeholder). The determination is made as follows.
(1) Before making the expenditure (other than an expenditure in connection with a campaign for a federal office or an expenditure for a federal officeholder), the committee must calculate its total political expenditures made during the 12 months immediately preceding the date of the planned expenditure. This total does not include the planned political expenditure triggering the calculation requirement.
(2) If 80% or more of the total political expenditures are in connection with elections not voted on in Texas, the committee is an out-of-state committee.
(3) If less than 80% of the total political expenditures are in connection with elections not voted on in Texas, the committee is no longer an out-of-state committee.
(d) Sections 20.29 (relating to Information About Out-of-State Committees) and 22.7 (relating to Contribution from Out-of-State Committee) of this title contain other provisions regarding requirements applicable to recipients of contributions from out-of-state political committees.
(e) An out-of-state political committee planning an expenditure in connection with a campaign for federal office voted on in Texas is not required to make the determination required under subsection (c) of this section. However, an expenditure in connection with a campaign for federal office voted on in Texas must be included in the calculation set out in subsection (c) of this section for an out-of-state committee making an expenditure in connection with a non-federal campaign voted on in Texas.
§ 20.29. Information About Out-of-State Committees
(a) A person who files a report with the commission by electronic transfer and who accepts political contributions from an out-of-state political committee required to file its statement of organization with the Federal Election Commission shall either:
(1) enter the out-of-state committee's federal PAC identification number in the appropriate place on the report; or
(2) timely file a certified copy of the out-of-state committee's statement of organization that is filed with the Federal Election Commission.
(b) A person who files a report with the commission by electronic transfer and who accepts political contributions from an out-of-state political committee that is not required to file its statement of organization with the Federal Elections Commission shall either:
(1) enter the information required by § 253.032(a)(1) or (e)(1), Election Code, as applicable, on the report filed by electronic transfer; or
(2) timely file a paper copy of the information required by § 253.032(a)(1) or (e)(1), Election Code, as applicable.
(c) Except as provided by subsection (d) of this section, § 251.007, Election Code, applies to a document filed under subsection (a)(2) or (b)(2) of this section.
(d) A document filed under subsection (a)(2) or (b)(2) of this section for a pre-election report is timely filed if it is received by the commission no later than the report due date. A pre-election report includes reports due 30-days and 8-days before an election, reports due before a runoff election, and special reports due before an election.
Special Pre-Election Reports By General-Purpose Committees
Text of Adopted Rule
The new language is italicized.
Chapter 20. REPORTING POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND EXPENDITURES
Subchapter F. REPORTING REQUIREMENT FOR A GENERAL-PURPOSE COMMITTEE
§ 20.435. Special Pre-Election Reports by Certain General-Purpose Committees
(a) In addition to other reports required by this chapter, a general-purpose committee must file a special pre-election report if the committee is involved in an election and if it:
(1) makes direct campaign expenditures supporting or opposing a single candidate that in the aggregate exceed $1,000 or a group of candidates that in the aggregate exceed $15,000 during the reporting period for special pre-election reports; or
(2) accepts political contributions from a person that in the aggregate exceed $5,000 during the reporting period for special pre-election reports.
(b) The period for special pre-election reports begins on the ninth day before election day and ends at noon on the day before election day.
((c) Except as provided by subsection (d) of this section, a report under this section must be received by the commission no later than the first business day after the contribution is accepted or the expenditure is made.
((d) A special pre-election report that is exempt from electronic filing under § 254.036(c), Election Code, must be received by the commission no later than 5 p.m. of the first business day after the contribution is accepted or the expenditure is made.
((e) Expenditures and contributions reported under this section must be reported again in the next applicable sworn report of contributions and expenditures.
Additional Disclosure for the Comptroller
Text of Adopted Rule
The new language is italicized.
CHAPTER 20. REPORTING POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND EXPENDITURES
Subchapter C. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR A CANDIDATE
§ 20.220. Additional Disclosure for the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
(a) For purposes of this section and section 2155.003(e) of the Government Code, the term “vendor” means:
(1) a person, who during the comptroller’s term of office, bids on or receives a contract under the comptroller’s purchasing authority that was transferred to the comptroller by section 2151.004 of the Government Code; and
(2) an employee or agent of a person described by subsection (a)(1) of this section who communicates directly with the chief clerk, or an employee of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts who exercises discretion in connection with the vendor's bid or contract, about a bid or contract.
(b) Each report filed by the comptroller or a specific-purpose committee created to support the comptroller, shall include:
(1) for each vendor whose aggregate campaign contributions equal or exceed $500 during the reporting period, a notation that:
(A) the contributor was a vendor during the reporting period or during the 12 month period preceding the last day covered by the report; and
(B) if the vendor is an individual, includes the name of the entity that employs or that is represented by the individual; and
(2) for each political committee directly established, administered, or controlled by a vendor whose aggregate campaign contributions equal or exceed $500 during the reporting period, a notation that the contributor was a political committee directly established, administered, or controlled by a vendor during the reporting period or during the 12 month period preceding the last day covered by the report.
(c) The comptroller, or a specific-purpose committee created to support the comptroller, is considered to be in compliance with this section if :
(1) each written solicitation for a campaign contribution includes a request for the information required by subsection (b) of this section; and
(2) for each contribution that is accepted for which the information required by this section is not provided at least one oral or written request is made for the missing information. A request under this subsection:
(A) must be made not later than the 30th day after the date the contribution is received;
(B) must include a clear and conspicuous statement requesting the information required by subsection (b) of this section;
(C) if made orally, must be documented in writing; and
(D) may not be made in conjunction with a solicitation for an additional campaign contribution.
(d) The comptroller, or a specific-purpose committee created to support the comptroller, must report the information required by subsection (b) of this section that is not provided by the person making the political contribution and that is in the comptroller's or committee’s records of political contributions or previous campaign finance reports required to be filed under Title 15 of the Election Code filed by the comptroller or committee.
(e) If the comptroller, or a specific-purpose committee created to support the comptroller, receives the information required by this section after the filing deadline for the report on which the contribution is reported the comptroller or committee must include the missing information on the next required campaign finance report.
(f) The disclosure required under subsection (b) of this section applies only to a contributor who was a vendor or a political committee directly established, administered, or controlled by a vendor on or after September 1, 2007.