| 1 | 1 | | 81R86 KCR-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Laubenberg H.B. No. 1224 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the authority of general-law municipalities to restrict |
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| 8 | 8 | | where sex offenders may live in the municipality. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 214, Local Government Code, is amended |
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| 11 | 11 | | by adding Section 214.907 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 214.907. LIMITATIONS ON RESIDENCE OF REGISTERED SEX |
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| 13 | 13 | | OFFENDERS. (a) To provide for the public safety, the governing |
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| 14 | 14 | | body of a general-law municipality by ordinance may restrict in the |
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| 15 | 15 | | municipality the proximity of the residence of an individual who is |
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| 16 | 16 | | required to register as a sex offender under Chapter 62, Code of |
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| 17 | 17 | | Criminal Procedure, to the location of a premises where children |
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| 18 | 18 | | commonly gather. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (b) For purposes of this section: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (1) "Premises where children commonly gather" |
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| 21 | 21 | | includes a school, day-care facility, playground, public or private |
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| 22 | 22 | | youth center, public swimming pool, or video arcade facility. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (2) "Playground," "premises," "school," "video arcade |
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| 24 | 24 | | facility," and "youth center" have the meanings assigned by Section |
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| 25 | 25 | | 481.134, Health and Safety Code. |
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| 26 | 26 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 27 | 27 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 28 | 28 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 29 | 29 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 30 | 30 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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