TEXAS ETHICS COMMISSION
The Texas Ethics Commission is authorized by Government Code, sec.571.091, to 
issue advisory opinions in regard to the following statutes: the Government 
Code, Chapter 302; the Government Code, Chapter 305; the Government Code, 
Chapter 572; the Election Code, Title 15; the Penal Code, Chapter 36; and the 
Penal Code, Chapter 39.
Requests for copies of the full text of opinions or questions on particular 
submissions should be addressed to the Office of the Texas Ethics Commission, 
P.O. Box 12070, Austin, Texas 78711-2070, (512) 463-5800.

Ethics Advisory Opinions
EAO-349 (AOR-387). Whether the amount a candidate or officeholder reports under 
"aggregate principal amount of all outstanding loans as of the last day of the 
reporting period" should include political expenditures from personal funds for 
which the candidate may reimburse himself from political contributions. 
Summary of Opinion.A candidate or officeholder is not required to include 
political expenditures from personal funds under "aggregate principal amount of 
all outstanding loans as of the last day of the reporting period." 
EAO-350 (AOR-388). Whether section 253.162(b) of the Election Code applies to 
loans made before the effective date of section 253.162(b). 
Summary of Opinion. The Election Code, sec.253.162(b) does not apply to the 
repayment of a loan made before June 16, 1995. 
EAO-351 (SP-6). Whether incumbent justices re-elected to the Supreme Court and 
the Court of Criminal Appeals and justices newly elected to those courts in 
November 1996 may accept political contributions during the period beginning on 
December 15, 1996, and ending on March 5, 1997. 
Summary of Opinion. Justices and justices-elect of the Supreme Court and the 
Court of Criminal Appeals who had an opponent in the November 1996 general 
election may accept political contributions in accordance with the Judicial 
Campaign Fairness Act until March 5, 1997. 
EAO-352 (AOR-389). Whether legal counsel to parties in a lawsuit that have been 
ordered by the court "to explore the possibility of resolving the matter through 
legislative action" may comply with the judge's order without violating the 
Government Code, sec.305.022.
Summary of Opinion.The compensation the plaintiffs' attorneys have agreed to in 
the case described in this opinion is not contingent on the passage of 
legislation. 
Issued in Austin, Texas, on December 6, 1996.
TRD-9617850
Tom Harrison
Executive Director
Texas Ethics Commission
Filed: December 9, 1996

Advisory Opinion Requests 
AOR-390. The Texas Ethics Commission has been asked to consider whether a former 
employee of a state agency may, as an employee of a private vendor, sell 
equipment and services to the state agency. The former employee was personally 
involved in purchasing equipment for the agency from the private vendor. 
AOR-391. Whether a member of the House of Representatives who intends to run for 
the Senate in a special election that has not yet been ordered but which will 
almost certainly be ordered and held during the 1997 legislative session may 
rely on the exception set out in the Election Code, sec.253.034(c) . 
AOR-392. The Texas Ethics Commission has been asked about the application of the 
ethics laws to a group that would like to provide certain computer information 
services to members of the legislature.
Issued in Austin, Texas, on December 6, 1996.
TRD-9617849
Tom Harrison
Executive Director
Texas Ethics Commission
Filed: December 10, 1996