| 1 | 1 | | 84R666 SCL-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Stickland H.B. No. 139 |
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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 posting of certain notices for political |
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| 8 | 8 | | subdivisions on the comptroller's Internet website. |
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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 2051, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 11 | 11 | | adding Subchapter E to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SUBCHAPTER E. NOTICE BY POSTING ON INTERNET FOR POLITICAL |
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| 13 | 13 | | SUBDIVISIONS |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 2051.151. NOTICE BY POSTING ON COMPTROLLER'S INTERNET |
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| 15 | 15 | | WEBSITE. (a) This section does not apply to notice of an election. |
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| 16 | 16 | | (b) A political subdivision shall provide to the |
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| 17 | 17 | | comptroller an electronic copy of each notice required by law to be |
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| 18 | 18 | | published by the political subdivision in a newspaper. The |
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| 19 | 19 | | political subdivision must submit the notice to the comptroller in |
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| 20 | 20 | | the format required by the comptroller not later than the third day |
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| 21 | 21 | | before the date the political subdivision is required to first |
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| 22 | 22 | | publish the notice in the newspaper. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (c) A political subdivision shall determine by official |
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| 24 | 24 | | action if the political subdivision will exclusively provide notice |
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| 25 | 25 | | in the manner provided by Subsection (b) or continue to provide |
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| 26 | 26 | | notice by publication in a newspaper in addition to providing |
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| 27 | 27 | | notice in the manner provided by Subsection (b). If a political |
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| 28 | 28 | | subdivision determines to exclusively provide notice in the manner |
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| 29 | 29 | | provided by Subsection (b), the political subdivision is exempt |
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| 30 | 30 | | from any requirement to provide the notice by publication in a |
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| 31 | 31 | | newspaper. A political subdivision that determines to exclusively |
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| 32 | 32 | | provide notice in the manner provided by Subsection (b) shall |
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| 33 | 33 | | publish in a newspaper of general circulation in the political |
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| 34 | 34 | | subdivision once a week for four consecutive weeks the Internet |
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| 35 | 35 | | address of the web page on the comptroller's Internet website at |
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| 36 | 36 | | which the political subdivision's notices may be located. |
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| 37 | 37 | | (d) The comptroller shall establish and maintain a web page |
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| 38 | 38 | | on the comptroller's Internet website to post notices provided |
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| 39 | 39 | | under Subsection (b). The comptroller shall post the notices on the |
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| 40 | 40 | | web page, in the format that the comptroller determines is |
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| 41 | 41 | | appropriate, not later than the third day after the date the |
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| 42 | 42 | | political subdivision provides the notice to the comptroller. |
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| 43 | 43 | | (e) The comptroller shall establish a system to allow a |
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| 44 | 44 | | person on request to receive an e-mail alert for an update to a |
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| 45 | 45 | | category of notices on the web page established under Subsection |
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| 46 | 46 | | (d). The comptroller shall maintain an electronic archive on the |
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| 47 | 47 | | comptroller's Internet website of notices posted on the web page. |
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| 48 | 48 | | (f) The comptroller may adopt rules necessary to implement |
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| 49 | 49 | | and administer this section. |
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| 50 | 50 | | SECTION 2. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this |
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| 51 | 51 | | section, this Act takes effect September 1, 2016. |
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| 52 | 52 | | (b) Section 2051.151(f), Government Code, as added by this |
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| 53 | 53 | | Act, takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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