| 1 | 1 | | 86R3600 JCG-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: E. Johnson of Dallas H.B. No. 4210 |
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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 publication of notice requirements for certain |
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| 8 | 8 | | governmental entities and representatives. |
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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 2051.044(a), Government Code, is amended |
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| 11 | 11 | | to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (a) The newspaper in which a notice is published must: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (1) devote not less than 25 percent of its total column |
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| 14 | 14 | | lineage to general interest items; |
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| 15 | 15 | | (2) be published at least once each week; and |
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| 16 | 16 | | (3) [be entered as second-class postal matter in the |
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| 17 | 17 | | county where published; and |
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| 18 | 18 | | [(4)] have been published regularly and continuously |
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| 19 | 19 | | for at least 12 months before the governmental entity or |
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| 20 | 20 | | representative publishes notice. |
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| 21 | 21 | | SECTION 2. Section 2051.049, Government Code, is amended to |
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| 22 | 22 | | read as follows: |
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| 23 | 23 | | Sec. 2051.049. SELECTION OF NEWSPAPER. (a) The |
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| 24 | 24 | | governmental entity or representative required to publish a notice |
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| 25 | 25 | | in a newspaper shall select, in accordance with this subchapter, |
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| 26 | 26 | | one or more newspapers to publish the notice. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (b) To encourage the development of minority-owned |
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| 28 | 28 | | businesses in this state, a governmental entity or representative |
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| 29 | 29 | | that publishes a notice in a newspaper under Section 2051.044 shall |
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| 30 | 30 | | consider selecting a newspaper that is a minority-owned business |
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| 31 | 31 | | if: |
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| 32 | 32 | | (1) a substantial percentage of the individuals |
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| 33 | 33 | | residing in the area where the notice is to be published are members |
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| 34 | 34 | | of one or more minority groups; and |
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| 35 | 35 | | (2) a newspaper in the area where the notice is to be |
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| 36 | 36 | | published: |
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| 37 | 37 | | (A) is a minority-owned business; and |
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| 38 | 38 | | (B) is widely circulated in that area. |
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| 39 | 39 | | (c) In this section, "minority-owned business" and |
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| 40 | 40 | | "minority group" have the meanings assigned by Section 161.131(c), |
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| 41 | 41 | | Natural Resources Code. |
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| 42 | 42 | | SECTION 3. Section 2051.044(a), Government Code, as amended |
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| 43 | 43 | | by this Act, and Section 2051.049(b), Government Code, as added by |
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| 44 | 44 | | this Act, apply only to a publication of notice first published on |
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| 45 | 45 | | or after the effective date of this Act. A publication of notice |
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| 46 | 46 | | published before the effective date of this Act is governed by the |
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| 47 | 47 | | law in effect at the time of the publication, and the former law is |
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| 48 | 48 | | continued in effect for that purpose. |
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| 49 | 49 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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