85R7133 PAM-D By: Lozano H.B. No. 1596 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to itemizing certain public notice expenditures in political subdivision budgets. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Chapter 140, Local Government Code, is amended by adding Section 140.0045 to read as follows: Sec. 140.0045. ITEMIZATION OF CERTAIN PUBLIC NOTICE EXPENDITURES REQUIRED IN POLITICAL SUBDIVISION BUDGETS. The proposed budget of a political subdivision must include a line item indicating expenditures for notices required by law to be published in a newspaper by the political subdivision or a representative of the political subdivision that allows as clear a comparison as practicable between those expenditures in the proposed budget and actual expenditures for the same purpose in the preceding year. SECTION 2. The change in law made by Section 140.0045, Local Government Code, as added by this Act, applies only to a proposed budget for a fiscal year beginning on or after January 1, 2018. SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2017.