Texas law limits campaign money during legislative walkouts

House Bill 18 is a new Texas law that controls how campaign money flows when lawmakers leave the state without permission during a legislative session. The law applies to any lawmaker who is outside Texas and missing from the session without being granted leave of absence by their chamber.

When a lawmaker is in an "impeding absence"—meaning they are out of state without permission to block their chamber's work—they cannot accept campaign donations. If they receive donations from a single person that exceed the daily per diem set by the Texas Ethics Commission for each day of a session, they must refuse those donations and return them within five days.

The law also prevents lawmakers and their campaign committees from spending campaign money on travel, food, or lodging during these absences. Each violation can result in a civil penalty of up to five thousand dollars. Contributions sent by mail before the absence began do not count as received during the absence.

This law was passed by the Texas Legislature and became effective on December 4, 2025. It is an exercise of the rulemaking power granted to each chamber under the Texas Constitution. Lawmakers and campaign groups must now track donations and expenses carefully during any session when members leave the state.

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