SECTION 22.11. Prohibition on Contributions during Regular Session

(a) During the period that begins on the 30th day before the date a regular legislative session convenes and continuing through the 20th day after the date of final adjournment, a person may not knowingly make a political contribution to:

(1) a statewide officeholder or officer-elect;

(2) a member of the legislature or member-elect; or

(3) a specific-purpose committee for supporting, opposing, or assisting a statewide officeholder or officer-elect or member or member-elect of the legislature.

(b) An individual or committee described in subsection (a) of this section may not knowingly accept a political contribution, and shall refuse a political contribution that is received, during the period prescribed by subsection (a) of this section.

(c) A political contribution that is received and refused pursuant to this section shall be returned to the contributor not later than the 30th day after the date of receipt.

(d) A contribution made by United States mail or by common or contract carrier is not considered received during the period prescribed by subsection (a) of this section if it was deposited into an official repository of the United States Postal Service or delivered to a common or contract carrier with postage prepaid and properly addressed before the beginning of the period. The date of the postmark or common or contact carrier documents is considered to be the date the contribution was placed in the mail or delivered to the common or contract carrier unless proven otherwise.

(e) This section does not apply to a political contribution that was made and accepted with the intent that it be used:

(1) in an election held or ordered during the period prescribed by subsection (a) of this section in which the person accepting the contribution is a candidate if the contribution was made after the person appointed a campaign treasurer with the appropriate authority and before the person was sworn in for that office;

(2) to defray expenses incurred in connection with an election contest; or

(3) by a person who holds a statewide office or a member of the legislature, if the person or member was defeated at the general election held immediately before the session is convened, or by a specific-purpose political committee that supports or assists only that person or member.

Source Note: The provisions of this §22.11 adopted to be effective December 31, 1993, 18 TexReg 9744; amended to be effective March 4, 2012, 37 TexReg 1482