Sec. 253.157. LIMIT ON CONTRIBUTION BY LAW FIRM OR MEMBER OR GENERAL-PURPOSE COMMITTEE OF LAW FIRM. (a) Subject to Section 253.1621, a judicial candidate or officeholder may not accept a political contribution in excess of $50 from a person if:
(1) the person is a law firm, a member of a law firm, or a general-purpose committee established or controlled by a law firm; and
(2) the contribution when aggregated with all political contributions accepted by the candidate or officeholder from the law firm, other members of the law firm, or a general-purpose committee established or controlled by the law firm in connection with the election would exceed six times the applicable contribution limit under Section 253.155.
(b) A person who receives a political contribution that violates Subsection (a) 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 fails to return a political contribution as required by Subsection (b) is liable for a civil penalty not to exceed three times the total amount of political contributions accepted from the law firm, members of the law firm, or general-purpose committees established or controlled by the law firm in connection with the election.
(d) For purposes of this section, a general-purpose committee is established or controlled by a law firm if the committee is established or controlled by members of the law firm.
(e) In this section:
(1) "Law firm" means a partnership, limited liability partnership, or professional corporation organized for the practice of law.
(2) "Member" means a partner, associate, shareholder, employee, or person designated "of counsel" or "of the firm".
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.
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