| 1 | 1 | | 86R12970 BRG-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Bucy H.B. No. 3711 |
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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 authority of peace officers and private parties to |
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| 8 | 8 | | prevent individuals from accessing private property for the purpose |
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| 9 | 9 | | of registering voters or communicating political messages. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 276, Election Code, is amended by adding |
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| 12 | 12 | | Section 276.014 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 276.014. DOOR TO DOOR POLITICAL MESSAGING. (a) In this |
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| 14 | 14 | | section, "residential unit" includes a single-family house, a |
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| 15 | 15 | | single-family house located in a residential subdivision or housing |
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| 16 | 16 | | development, an apartment, a condominium, or another unit in a |
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| 17 | 17 | | multifamily residential structure. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), a peace officer or |
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| 19 | 19 | | private party may not prevent an individual from knocking on the |
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| 20 | 20 | | front door of a residential unit, ringing the doorbell of the unit, |
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| 21 | 21 | | or leaving a pamphlet, flier, or other form of written |
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| 22 | 22 | | communication at the unit for the purpose of: |
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| 23 | 23 | | (1) assisting an occupant of the unit with registering |
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| 24 | 24 | | to vote; or |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2) communicating to an occupant of the unit support |
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| 26 | 26 | | or opposition for: |
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| 27 | 27 | | (A) a candidate for nomination or election to |
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| 28 | 28 | | public office or office of a political party; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (B) a political party; or |
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| 30 | 30 | | (C) a measure, as defined by Section 251.001. |
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| 31 | 31 | | (c) A peace officer may prevent an individual from engaging |
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| 32 | 32 | | in an activity under Subsection (b) if necessary to enforce a |
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| 33 | 33 | | criminal statute or a reasonable restriction on the time, place, or |
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| 34 | 34 | | manner of the activity. |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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