| 1 | 1 | | 81R909 JSA-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Bolton H.B. No. 2051 |
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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 requiring a record vote by each house or committee of |
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| 8 | 8 | | the legislature on bills, proposed constitutional amendments, and |
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| 9 | 9 | | amendments to bills and proposed constitutional amendments. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 301, Government Code, is |
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| 12 | 12 | | amended by adding Section 301.035 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 301.035. RECORD VOTE ON BILLS AND OTHER MEASURES |
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| 14 | 14 | | REQUIRED. (a) A vote taken by a house or committee of the |
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| 15 | 15 | | legislature must be by record vote if the vote is on: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) approval or disapproval of a bill on second or |
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| 17 | 17 | | third reading or of an amendment or substitute to a bill on second |
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| 18 | 18 | | or third reading; or |
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| 19 | 19 | | (2) approval or disapproval of a joint resolution |
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| 20 | 20 | | proposing or ratifying a constitutional amendment on second or |
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| 21 | 21 | | third reading or of an amendment or substitute to such a joint |
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| 22 | 22 | | resolution on second or third reading. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (b) How each member voted on a matter described by |
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| 24 | 24 | | Subsection (a) shall be recorded in the journal of the appropriate |
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| 25 | 25 | | house or in the minutes of the appropriate committee. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (c) The secretary of the senate or chief clerk of the house |
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| 27 | 27 | | of representatives, as applicable, shall: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (1) promptly publish each record vote required by this |
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| 29 | 29 | | section, including the vote of each individual member, on the |
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| 30 | 30 | | public Internet website maintained by or for the appropriate house |
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| 31 | 31 | | in a manner that is easily accessible and searchable by members of |
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| 32 | 32 | | the public; and |
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| 33 | 33 | | (2) permanently maintain that information on the |
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| 34 | 34 | | Internet website. |
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| 35 | 35 | | (d) In enacting this section, each house of the legislature |
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| 36 | 36 | | is exercising its constitutional authority to determine the rules |
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| 37 | 37 | | of its own proceedings. The requirements of this section are |
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| 38 | 38 | | cumulative of any other requirements of law or rule regarding the |
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| 39 | 39 | | recording or publication of votes taken by a house or committee of |
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| 40 | 40 | | the legislature. In each house, this section has the effect of, and |
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| 41 | 41 | | is enforceable in the same manner as, a rule adopted by resolution. |
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| 42 | 42 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 43 | 43 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 44 | 44 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 45 | 45 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 46 | 46 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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