| 1 | | - | H.B. No. 2840 |
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| 1 | + | By: Canales, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Hughes) H.B. No. 2840 |
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| 2 | + | (In the Senate - Received from the House May 6, 2019; |
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| 3 | + | May 10, 2019, read first time and referred to Committee on Business & |
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| 4 | + | Commerce; May 20, 2019, reported favorably by the following vote: |
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| 5 | + | Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 20, 2019, sent to printer.) |
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| 6 | + | Click here to see the committee vote |
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| 4 | 10 | | AN ACT |
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| 5 | 11 | | relating to the right of a member of the public to address the |
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| 6 | 12 | | governing body of a political subdivision at an open meeting of the |
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| 7 | 13 | | body. |
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| 8 | 14 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 15 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 551, Government Code, is |
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| 10 | 16 | | amended by adding Section 551.007 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 17 | | Sec. 551.007. PUBLIC TESTIMONY. (a) This section applies |
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| 12 | 18 | | only to a governmental body described by Sections |
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| 13 | 19 | | 551.001(3)(B)-(L). |
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| 14 | 20 | | (b) A governmental body shall allow each member of the |
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| 15 | 21 | | public who desires to address the body regarding an item on an |
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| 16 | 22 | | agenda for an open meeting of the body to address the body regarding |
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| 17 | 23 | | the item at the meeting before or during the body's consideration of |
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| 18 | 24 | | the item. |
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| 19 | 25 | | (c) A governmental body may adopt reasonable rules |
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| 20 | 26 | | regarding the public's right to address the body under this |
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| 21 | 27 | | section, including rules that limit the total amount of time that a |
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| 22 | 28 | | member of the public may address the body on a given item. |
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| 23 | 29 | | (d) This subsection applies only if a governmental body does |
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| 24 | 30 | | not use simultaneous translation equipment in a manner that allows |
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| 25 | 31 | | the body to hear the translated public testimony simultaneously. A |
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| 26 | 32 | | rule adopted under Subsection (c) that limits the amount of time |
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| 27 | 33 | | that a member of the public may address the governmental body must |
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| 28 | 34 | | provide that a member of the public who addresses the body through a |
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| 29 | 35 | | translator must be given at least twice the amount of time as a |
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| 30 | 36 | | member of the public who does not require the assistance of a |
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| 31 | 37 | | translator in order to ensure that non-English speakers receive the |
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| 32 | 38 | | same opportunity to address the body. |
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| 33 | 39 | | (e) A governmental body may not prohibit public criticism of |
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| 34 | 40 | | the governmental body, including criticism of any act, omission, |
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| 35 | 41 | | policy, procedure, program, or service. This subsection does not |
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| 36 | 42 | | apply to public criticism that is otherwise prohibited by law. |
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| 37 | 43 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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| 38 | | - | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 39 | | - | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 40 | | - | I certify that H.B. No. 2840 was passed by the House on May 3, |
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| 41 | | - | 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 138, Nays 3, 1 present, not |
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| 42 | | - | voting. |
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| 43 | | - | ______________________________ |
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| 44 | | - | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 45 | | - | I certify that H.B. No. 2840 was passed by the Senate on May |
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| 46 | | - | 22, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
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| 47 | | - | ______________________________ |
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| 48 | | - | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 49 | | - | APPROVED: _____________________ |
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| 50 | | - | Date |
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| 51 | | - | _____________________ |
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| 52 | | - | Governor |
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| 44 | + | * * * * * |
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