Donor privacy and disclosure policy in Texas
| Donor privacy and disclosure policy |
| • Disclosure of nonprofit donor information to governments • Disclosure of nonprofit donor information to the public • Disclosure and political polarization |
This page is outside of Ballotpedia's current coverage scope and does not receive scheduled updates. If you would like to help our coverage grow, please consider donating to Ballotpedia. These pages covered donor privacy and disclosure policy in states from 2019 to 2023.
Donor disclosure and privacy policy refers to legislation or regulation governing the confidentiality of nonprofit donors' identities and/or personal information. Nonprofit groups are organizations that do not distribute surplus revenues as profits or dividends to shareholders. Instead, nonprofits use revenues for self-preservation or expansion. Tax-exempt nonprofits are regulated under Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code. States may subject nonprofits to additional regulations beyond those imposed by the federal government.[1][2]
Of these nonprofit groups, only 501(c)(4) political education organizations can engage in political lobbying or issue advocacy, though they cannot advocate expressly for the election or defeat of particular candidates.
Under federal law, nonprofits were generally required to disclose to the public information about donors who contributed to fund campaign expenditures. State laws, however, could require more disclosure.
The appropriate degree of disclosure of nonprofit donor information to governments and the public and whether or not it is a source of political polarization was debated within policy circles. Advocates of donor disclosure policies argued that increased disclosure minimized the potential for fraud, established public accountability, prevented foreign influence in politics and elections, and limited the political influence of major donors who might seek to advance their private interests. Meanwhile, advocates of donor privacy argued that mandatory donor disclosure violated free speech rights, violated donors' rights to free association and privacy, stifled public debate and discussion, and could lead to donor harassment, backlash, or retaliation.[3][4]
This page covered legislation dealing with donor disclosure and privacy tracked by Ballotpedia from 2019 to 2023. It includes summaries of relevant legislation as well as the status and partisan sponsorship of each bill tracked during this period.
This article outlined proposed laws governing donor disclosure and privacy policy in Texas. This article also provided background information on the key terms and concepts associated with this policy area.
Relevant legislation in Texas
2023
The following is a list of relevant bills considered by the Texas State Legislature in 2023. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.
Note: If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature in 2023.
Historical comparison
State legislators introduced four donor privacy and disclosure bill(s) in Texas from 2020 to 2023. Broken down by year, legislators in Texas introduced:
- 0 bill(s) in 2020.
- 0 bill(s) in 2021.
- 0 bill(s) in 2022.
- 4 bill(s) in 2023. Democrats sponsored two bills, and Republicans sponsored two bills. No bills were enacted.
Nationwide historical comparsion
The charts below show the number of donor privacy and disclosure bills introduced from 2020 to 2023. For a full list of donor privacy and disclosure bills introduced nationwide since 2020, click here.
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ Investopedia, "Nonprofit Organization," accessed November 5, 2015
- ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "Applying for 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Status," accessed November 5, 2015
- ↑ Guidestar, "Fundraising: What Laws Apply?" accessed February 18, 2015
- ↑ London School of Economics, "Campaign finance laws that make small donations public may lead to fewer people contributing and to smaller donations," January 7, 2015
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