The bill, H.B. No. 143, amends the Election Code to include provisions regarding political advertising disseminated through mass text message campaigns. It expands the definition of "political advertising" to encompass communications sent as part of a mass text message campaign, which is defined as an organized effort to send text messages to multiple recipients in support of or opposition to a candidate, political party, public officer, or measure, involving expenditures that exceed basic costs. Additionally, the bill introduces a new provision that states all text messages sent as part of a single mass text message campaign that violates certain regulations will be considered one violation for the purpose of assessing civil penalties.

The bill also clarifies that the changes will only apply to political advertising distributed or broadcast on or after the effective date of the Act, ensuring that any advertising prior to this date will be governed by the existing laws. The Act is set to take effect 91 days after the conclusion of the legislative session.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Election Code 251.001, Election Code 255.001 (Election Code 251, Election Code 255)