§ 253.034. RESTRICTIONS ON CONTRIBUTIONS DURING AND
FOLLOWING REGULAR LEGISLATIVE SESSION. (a) During the period
beginning 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;
(2) a member of the legislature; or
(3) a specific-purpose committee for supporting,
opposing, or assisting a statewide officeholder or member of the
legislature.
(b) A statewide officeholder, a member of the legislature,
or a specific-purpose committee for supporting, opposing, or
assisting a statewide officeholder or member of the legislature may
not knowingly accept a political contribution, and shall refuse a
political contribution that is received, during the period
prescribed by Subsection (a). A political contribution that is
received and refused during that period shall be returned to the
contributor not later than the 30th day after the date of receipt.
A contribution made by mail is not considered received during that
period if it was placed with postage prepaid and properly addressed
in the United States mail before the beginning of the period. The
date indicated by the post office cancellation mark is considered
to be the date the contribution was placed in the mail unless proven
otherwise.
(c) 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) 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 state 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.
(d) This section does not apply to a political contribution
made to or accepted by a holder of an office to which Subchapter F
applies.
(e) A person who violates this section commits an offense.
An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor.

Amended by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 899, § 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1987; Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 304, § 5.05, eff. Jan. 1, 1992;
Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1134, § 4, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts
2003, 78th Leg., ch. 249, § 2.05, 2.06, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.