| 1 | 1 | | 85R7925 AJZ-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Thierry H.B. No. 1511 |
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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 providing certain election information on the highway |
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| 8 | 8 | | changeable message sign system. |
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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. Section 544.013, Transportation Code, is amended |
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| 11 | 11 | | by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsections (c) and (d) to |
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| 12 | 12 | | read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (b) The Texas Department of Transportation in cooperation |
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| 14 | 14 | | with local governments shall actively manage a system of changeable |
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| 15 | 15 | | message signs located on highways under the jurisdiction of the |
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| 16 | 16 | | department to: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (1) mitigate traffic congestion by providing current |
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| 18 | 18 | | information to the traveling public, including information about |
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| 19 | 19 | | traffic incidents, weather conditions, road construction, and |
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| 20 | 20 | | alternative routes when applicable; and |
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| 21 | 21 | | (2) provide information regarding the date of an |
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| 22 | 22 | | election held statewide and the associated voter registration |
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| 23 | 23 | | deadline for the election. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (c) The Texas Department of Transportation, in consultation |
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| 25 | 25 | | with the secretary of state, shall establish a plan to provide the |
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| 26 | 26 | | information described by Subsection (b)(2) using the system of |
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| 27 | 27 | | changeable message signs managed under this section. The plan |
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| 28 | 28 | | established under this subsection must require the information |
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| 29 | 29 | | described by Subsection (b)(2) to be posted on the system in English |
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| 30 | 30 | | and Spanish for the following periods: |
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| 31 | 31 | | (1) two days before voting begins in the election |
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| 32 | 32 | | through the end of election day; and |
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| 33 | 33 | | (2) two days before the deadline for voter |
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| 34 | 34 | | registration through the end of the last day of voter registration |
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| 35 | 35 | | for the election. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (d) The plan established under Subsection (c) must also |
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| 37 | 37 | | require that the information described by Subsection (b)(2) not be |
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| 38 | 38 | | posted on a changeable message sign if the posting would interfere |
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| 39 | 39 | | with another safety or emergency alert, including an alert |
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| 40 | 40 | | providing information described by Subsection (b)(1). |
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| 41 | 41 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 42 | 42 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 43 | 43 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 44 | 44 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 45 | 45 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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