S.B. No. 64

	AN ACT
	relating to the reporting of political contributions accepted or
	political expenditures made near an election; providing a civil
	penalty.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  Section 254.039, Election Code, is amended by
	amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsections (a-1) and
	(a-2) to read as follows:
	(a)  In addition to other reports required by this chapter, a
	general-purpose committee shall file additional reports during the
	period beginning the ninth day before election day and ending at 12
	noon on the day before election day if the committee:
	(1)  accepts political contributions from a person that
	in the aggregate exceed $5,000 during that reporting period; or
	(2)  [that] makes direct campaign expenditures
	supporting or opposing either a single candidate that in the
	aggregate exceed $1,000 or a group of candidates that in the
	aggregate exceed $15,000 during that reporting [the] period.
	(a-1)  A report under this section shall be filed [beginning
	the ninth day before election day and ending at 12 noon on the
	second day before election day shall file a report] electronically,
	by telegram or telephonic facsimile machine, or by hand, in the form
	required by Section 254.036.  The commission must receive a [the]
	report under this section not later than 5 p.m. of the first
	business day [48 hours] after the date the contribution is accepted
	or the expenditure is made. A report under this section is not
	required to be accompanied by the affidavit required under Section
	254.036(h) or to be submitted on a form prescribed by the
	commission. A report under this section that complies with Section
	254.036(a) must be accompanied by an affidavit under Section
	254.036(c)(1) unless the committee has submitted an affidavit under
	Section 254.036(c)(1) with another report filed in connection with
	the election for which a report is required under this section.
	(a-2)  Each report required by Subsection (a)(1) must
	include the amount of the contributions specified by that
	subsection, the full name and address of the person making the
	contributions, and the dates of the contributions.
	(b)  Each report required by Subsection (a)(2) [this
	section] must include the amount of the expenditures, the full name
	and address of the persons to whom the expenditures are made, and
	the dates and purposes of the expenditures.
	SECTION 2.  Subsection (a), Section 254.042, Election Code,
	is amended to read as follows:
	(a)  The commission shall determine from any available
	evidence whether a report[, other than a telegram report under
	Section 254.038 or 254.039,] required to be filed with the
	commission under this chapter is late. On making that
	determination, the commission shall immediately mail a notice of
	the determination to the person required to file the report.
	SECTION 3.  (a)  Section 254.039, Election Code, as amended
	by this Act, applies only to the reporting of a political
	contribution accepted on or after September 1, 2007.  For purposes
	of Section 254.039, Election Code, as amended by this Act, a
	political contribution accepted before September 1, 2007, is not
	aggregated with a political contribution accepted on or after that
	date.  The reporting of a political contribution accepted before
	September 1, 2007, is governed by the law in effect on the date the
	contribution was accepted, and the former law is continued in
	effect for that purpose.
	(b)  Subsection (a), Section 254.042, Election Code, as
	amended by this Act, applies only to a report under Chapter 254,
	Election Code, that is required to be filed on or after the
	effective date of this Act.  A report under Chapter 254, Election
	Code, that is required to be filed before the effective date of this
	Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the report is
	required to be filed, and the former law is continued in effect for
	that purpose.
	SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
	______________________________    ______________________________
	President of the Senate             Speaker of the House
	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 64 passed the Senate on
	March 29, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0; and that
	the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 18, 2007, by the
	following vote: Yeas 29, Nays 0.
	______________________________
	Secretary of the Senate
	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 64 passed the House, with
	amendment, on May 15, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 143,
	Nays 0, one present not voting.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House
	Approved:
	______________________________
	______________________________
	Date
	______________________________
	______________________________
	Governor