| 1 | 1 | | 84R6113 ATP-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Watson S.B. No. 535 |
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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 use of certain mobile devices at a polling place. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Sections 61.014(a), (b), and (c), Election Code, |
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| 10 | 10 | | are amended to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | (a) A person may not use a wireless communication device |
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| 12 | 12 | | within 50 [100] feet of a voting station. If voting stations are |
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| 13 | 13 | | located in a separate room from the area in which voters wait to |
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| 14 | 14 | | vote or are accepted for voting, a person may not use a wireless |
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| 15 | 15 | | communication device in the room in which voting stations are |
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| 16 | 16 | | located and may use the device in any other area. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) A person may not use any mechanical or electronic means |
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| 18 | 18 | | to record or capture [of recording] images or sound within 100 feet |
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| 19 | 19 | | of a voting station. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (c) The presiding judge may require a person who violates |
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| 21 | 21 | | this section to turn off the device [or to leave the polling place]. |
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| 22 | 22 | | SECTION 2. The heading to Section 62.0111, Election Code, |
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| 23 | 23 | | is amended to read as follows: |
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| 24 | 24 | | Sec. 62.0111. NOTICE OF USE [PROHIBITION] OF CERTAIN |
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| 25 | 25 | | DEVICES. |
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| 26 | 26 | | SECTION 3. Section 62.0111(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 27 | 27 | | read as follows: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (a) At the discretion of the presiding judge, notice of the |
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| 29 | 29 | | [prohibition of the] use of certain devices under Section 61.014 |
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| 30 | 30 | | may be posted at one or more locations in the polling place where it |
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| 31 | 31 | | can be read by persons waiting to vote. |
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| 32 | 32 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 33 | 33 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 34 | 34 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 35 | 35 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 36 | 36 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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