| 1 | 1 | | 85R25054 ADM-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Bohac H.B. No. 1594 |
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| 3 | 3 | | Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1594: |
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| 4 | 4 | | By: Laubenberg C.S.H.B. No. 1594 |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to the territory that may be included in a single county |
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| 10 | 10 | | election precinct. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Sections 42.0051(a) and (d), Election Code, are |
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| 13 | 13 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (a) A [If changes in county election precinct boundaries to |
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| 15 | 15 | | give effect to a redistricting plan result in county election |
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| 16 | 16 | | precincts with a number of registered voters less than 500, a] |
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| 17 | 17 | | commissioners court for a general or special election[,] or, for a |
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| 18 | 18 | | primary election, the county executive committee of a political |
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| 19 | 19 | | party conducting a primary election, may combine county election |
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| 20 | 20 | | precincts notwithstanding Section 42.005 to avoid unreasonable |
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| 21 | 21 | | expenditures for election equipment, supplies, and personnel in: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (1) a county with a population of less than 250,000 if |
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| 23 | 23 | | the precinct has less than 500 registered voters; or |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2) a county with a population of 250,000 or more |
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| 25 | 25 | | regardless of the number of registered voters in the precinct. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (d) A combined precinct may not be established if it: |
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| 27 | 27 | | (1) results in a dilution of voting strength of a group |
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| 28 | 28 | | covered by the federal Voting Rights Act (42 U.S.C. Section 1973c et |
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| 29 | 29 | | seq.); |
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| 30 | 30 | | (2) results in a dilution of representation of a group |
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| 31 | 31 | | covered by the Voting Rights Act in any political or electoral |
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| 32 | 32 | | process or procedure; [or] |
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| 33 | 33 | | (3) results in discouraging participation by a group |
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| 34 | 34 | | covered by the Voting Rights Act in any political or electoral |
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| 35 | 35 | | process or procedure because of the location of a polling place or |
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| 36 | 36 | | other factors; or |
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| 37 | 37 | | (4) contains a county election precinct with at least |
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| 38 | 38 | | 500 registered voters but less than 750 registered voters and: |
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| 39 | 39 | | (A) the location of the polling place for the |
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| 40 | 40 | | combined precinct is different from the location used for the |
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| 41 | 41 | | county election precinct in the preceding election ordered by the |
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| 42 | 42 | | same authority; and |
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| 43 | 43 | | (B) the polling place used for the county |
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| 44 | 44 | | election precinct in the preceding election ordered by the same |
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| 45 | 45 | | authority: |
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| 46 | 46 | | (i) is available to be used as a polling |
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| 47 | 47 | | place; and |
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| 48 | 48 | | (ii) complies with the accessibility |
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| 49 | 49 | | requirements established by Sections 43.034 and 61.012. |
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| 50 | 50 | | SECTION 2. Section 42.0051(b), Election Code, is repealed. |
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| 51 | 51 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 52 | 52 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 53 | 53 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 54 | 54 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 55 | 55 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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