Texas Statutes
Subchapter F. Judicial Campaign Fairness Act
Section 253.157. Limit on Contribution by General-Purpose Committees

Sec. 253.157. LIMIT ON CONTRIBUTION BY GENERAL-PURPOSE COMMITTEES.
(a) Repealed by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 384 (H.B. 3233), Sec. 17(2), eff. June 2, 2019.
(a-1) A judicial candidate or officeholder may not knowingly accept political contributions from a general-purpose committee that, in the aggregate, exceed the contribution limits prescribed by this subsection in connection with an election in which the judicial candidate's name appears on the ballot. The contribution limits under this subsection are:
(1) for a statewide judicial office, $25,000; or
(2) for any other judicial office, $5,000.
(a-2) In addition to the contribution limits imposed on each contribution in Subsection (a-1), a judicial candidate or officeholder may not accept a political contribution in excess of $50 from a general-purpose committee if the contribution, when aggregated with all political contributions from all general-purpose committees in connection with an election, would exceed:
(1) for a statewide judicial office, $300,000;
(2) for the office of chief justice or justice, court of appeals:
(A) $75,000, if the population of the judicial district is more than one million; or
(B) $52,500, if the population of the judicial district is one million or less; or
(3) for an office other than an office included under Subdivision (1) or (2):
(A) $52,500, if the population of the judicial district is more than one million;
(B) $30,000, if the population of the judicial district is 250,000 to one million; or
(C) $15,000, if the population of the judicial district is less than 250,000.
(b) A person who receives a political contribution that violates this section shall return the contribution to the contributor not later than the later of:
(1) the last day of the reporting period in which the contribution is received; or
(2) the fifth day after the date the contribution is received.
(c) A person who violates this section is liable for a civil penalty not to exceed three times the amount of the political contributions accepted in violation of this section.
(d) Repealed by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 384 (H.B. 3233), Sec. 17(2), eff. June 2, 2019.
(e) Repealed by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 384 (H.B. 3233), Sec. 17(2), eff. June 2, 2019.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 763, Sec. 1, eff. June 16, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 479, Sec. 5, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 552, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 62, Sec. 5.16, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1096, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.
Amended by:
Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 384 (H.B. 3233), Sec. 5, eff. June 2, 2019.
Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 384 (H.B. 3233), Sec. 6, eff. June 2, 2019.
Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 384 (H.B. 3233), Sec. 17(2), eff. June 2, 2019.