| 1 | 1 | | 84R2853 AJZ-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Dutton H.B. No. 2373 |
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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 creation of a task force to conduct a study and |
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| 8 | 8 | | develop recommendations to alleviate the incidence of gun violence |
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| 9 | 9 | | in this state. |
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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. TEXAS TASK FORCE ON GUN VIOLENCE. (a) The |
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| 12 | 12 | | Texas Task Force on Gun Violence is created. |
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| 13 | 13 | | (b) The task force shall study the causes and effects of gun |
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| 14 | 14 | | violence in this state. After completing the study, the task force |
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| 15 | 15 | | shall develop recommendations for programs and propose legislation |
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| 16 | 16 | | to alleviate the incidence of gun violence in this state. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (c) The task force is composed of the following nine |
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| 18 | 18 | | members: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (1) three members appointed by the governor, one of |
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| 20 | 20 | | whom is a proponent of private gun ownership, one of whom is an |
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| 21 | 21 | | opponent of private gun ownership, and one of whom is employed in |
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| 22 | 22 | | the medical profession; |
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| 23 | 23 | | (2) three members appointed by the lieutenant |
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| 24 | 24 | | governor, one of whom is a prosecuting attorney, one of whom is a |
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| 25 | 25 | | university scholar with expertise on the issue of gun violence, and |
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| 26 | 26 | | one of whom is a community advocate; and |
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| 27 | 27 | | (3) three members appointed by the speaker of the |
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| 28 | 28 | | house of representatives, one of whom is a state representative, |
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| 29 | 29 | | one of whom is a state senator, and one of whom is appropriately |
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| 30 | 30 | | qualified as determined by the speaker. |
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| 31 | 31 | | (d) The governor shall designate a member of the task force |
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| 32 | 32 | | to serve as presiding officer. |
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| 33 | 33 | | (e) A member of the task force is not entitled to |
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| 34 | 34 | | compensation but is entitled to reimbursement for the member's |
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| 35 | 35 | | travel expenses as provided by Chapter 660, Government Code, and |
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| 36 | 36 | | the General Appropriations Act. |
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| 37 | 37 | | (f) The task force shall compile a detailed report of its |
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| 38 | 38 | | findings and recommendations, including proposed legislation to |
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| 39 | 39 | | alleviate the incidence of gun violence in this state, and shall |
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| 40 | 40 | | submit the report to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the |
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| 41 | 41 | | speaker of the house of representatives not later than December 1, |
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| 42 | 42 | | 2016. |
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| 43 | 43 | | (g) The task force is abolished and this Act expires on |
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| 44 | 44 | | January 1, 2017. |
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| 45 | 45 | | SECTION 2. APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS. The governor, the |
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| 46 | 46 | | lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of |
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| 47 | 47 | | representatives shall appoint members to the Texas Task Force on |
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| 48 | 48 | | Gun Violence, as required by this Act, as soon as practicable after |
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| 49 | 49 | | the effective date of this Act. |
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| 50 | 50 | | SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect |
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| 51 | 51 | | immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members |
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| 52 | 52 | | elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas |
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| 53 | 53 | | Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for |
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| 54 | 54 | | immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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