Certain election bodies may not accept or use larger contributions without written consent, and smaller contributions need written consent from the relevant political subdivision.
Sec. 31.126. PROHIBITED CONTRIBUTIONS. (a) Without the written consent of the secretary of state, the joint elections commission, county election commission, and county election board may not: (1) accept a contribution of $1,000 or more, including the value of in-kind donations, offered by: (A) a private individual; (B) a business entity, including a: (i) corporation; (ii) partnership; or (iii) trust; or (C) another third party; or (2) use a contribution described by Subdivision (1) to perform a function of administering elections. (b) The secretary of state may grant consent under Subsection (a) only if: (1) the secretary consults with the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives on the proposed donation; and (2) the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives unanimously agree to the secretary's grant of consent. (c) The joint elections commission, county election commission, and county election board may accept a contribution of less than $1,000 only with written consent from the relevant political subdivision. (d) This section does not prohibit the acceptance of: (1) an in-kind contribution of food or beverage for election workers during the administration of an election; (2) any state or federal funds administered or distributed by the secretary of state, including funds administered and distributed under Section 31.009, or other state or federal funds made available to political subdivisions to perform a function related to elections; or (3) an offer for use, without charge or for a reduced fee, of a public or private building or a portion of a building for the purposes of conducting an election, including for use as a polling place designated under Chapter 43. Added by Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1000 (H.B. 2283), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2021.