(Texas Scorecard) – The Texas House advanced legislation to bar lawmakers from raising money while deliberately breaking quorum.
On Tuesday, members adopted a floor substitute to House Bill 18 by State Rep. Matt Shaheen (R–Plano) that prohibits legislators from soliciting or spending campaign contributions while absent from the state for the purpose of blocking legislative action.
The measure defines an “impeding absence” as when a lawmaker leaves Texas without permission during a legislative session after the chamber has ordered absent members arrested.
In such cases, lawmakers and their affiliated committees would be prohibited from accepting contributions above the daily per diem rate or using campaign funds for travel, food, or lodging tied to the absence.
While the law technically permits token donations at or below the per diem, in practice, it would function as a near-total fundraising ban during quorum-busting walkouts.
Violations would carry civil fines of up to $5,000 for each prohibited contribution or expenditure, with expedited enforcement in district court.
An amendment by State Rep. Mitch Little (R–Lewisville) expanded the scope of the prohibition to include legislative caucuses. That move came after the House Democrat Caucus reportedly benefited from outside fundraising assistance—including from Robert “Beto” O’Rourke’s PAC—during their two-week quorum break earlier this summer over congressional redistricting.
Under the revised language, caucuses themselves are barred from serving as conduits for campaign cash when their members are absent to block legislative business.
Meanwhile, the Texas Senate has already advanced related legislation that would go further by banning campaign fundraising entirely during special sessions, mirroring existing restrictions during regular sessions.
The House initially approved the proposal in an 86-46 vote. After final approval it will next be sent to the Senate.