| 1 | 1 | | 83R10404 ADM-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Bohac H.B. No. 2503 |
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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 territory that may be included in a single county |
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| 8 | 8 | | election precinct. |
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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. The heading to Section 42.005, Election Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 42.005. RELATIONSHIP TO [WARDS,] DISTRICTS[, AND |
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| 13 | 13 | | JUSTICE] AND COMMISSIONERS PRECINCTS. |
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| 14 | 14 | | SECTION 2. Section 42.005(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 15 | 15 | | read as follows: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (a) A county election precinct, including a consolidated |
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| 17 | 17 | | precinct, may not contain territory from more than one of each of |
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| 18 | 18 | | the following types of territorial units: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (1) a commissioners precinct; |
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| 20 | 20 | | (2) [a justice precinct; |
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| 21 | 21 | | [(3)] a congressional district; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (3) [(4)] a state representative district; or |
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| 23 | 23 | | (4) [(5)] a state senatorial district[; |
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| 24 | 24 | | [(6) a ward in a city with a population of 10,000 or |
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| 25 | 25 | | more; or |
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| 26 | 26 | | [(7) a State Board of Education district]. |
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| 27 | 27 | | SECTION 3. Section 42.0051(b), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 28 | 28 | | read as follows: |
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| 29 | 29 | | (b) County election precincts in a county with a population |
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| 30 | 30 | | of 250,000 or more may also be combined under Subsection (a) if the |
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| 31 | 31 | | changes result in county election precincts with [500 or more but] |
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| 32 | 32 | | fewer than 2,500 [750] registered voters. |
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| 33 | 33 | | SECTION 4. Sections 42.010(b) and (c), Election Code, are |
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| 34 | 34 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 35 | 35 | | (b) After each redistricting of a territorial unit |
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| 36 | 36 | | described by Section 42.005(a)(1) [or (2)], the commissioners court |
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| 37 | 37 | | shall consider changes to the territorial units to allow the county |
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| 38 | 38 | | to eliminate county election precincts with no population or a |
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| 39 | 39 | | substantially small population. |
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| 40 | 40 | | (c) After each redistricting of a territorial unit |
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| 41 | 41 | | described by Section 42.005(a)(2), (3), or [42.005(a)(3),] (4), |
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| 42 | 42 | | [(5), or (7),] the commissioners court may submit recommendations |
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| 43 | 43 | | to the secretary of state on changes to the territorial units to |
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| 44 | 44 | | allow the county to eliminate county election precincts with no |
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| 45 | 45 | | population or a substantially small population. |
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| 46 | 46 | | SECTION 5. Sections 42.005(c) and (d) and 42.010(a), |
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| 47 | 47 | | Election Code, are repealed. |
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| 48 | 48 | | SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 49 | 49 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 50 | 50 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 51 | 51 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 52 | 52 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |
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