| 1 | 1 | | 87R6545 JTS-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Bailes H.B. No. 2500 |
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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 Internet posting of notice by governmental entities and |
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| 8 | 8 | | representatives as an alternative to newspaper publication of |
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| 9 | 9 | | notice. |
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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. Subchapter C, Chapter 2051, Government Code, is |
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| 12 | 12 | | amended by adding Section 2051.054 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 2051.054. INTERNET PUBLICATION AUTHORIZED IN CERTAIN |
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| 14 | 14 | | CIRCUMSTANCES. (a) Notwithstanding any other law and except as |
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| 15 | 15 | | provided by Section 2051.042(b), a governmental entity or |
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| 16 | 16 | | representative may, as an alternative, satisfy a requirement to |
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| 17 | 17 | | provide notice by publication in a newspaper by posting the notice |
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| 18 | 18 | | on a third-party Internet website. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (b) A governmental entity or representative may publish a |
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| 20 | 20 | | notice on a third-party Internet website under this section only |
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| 21 | 21 | | if: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (1) the governing body of the governmental entity |
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| 23 | 23 | | finds, after holding a public hearing on the matter, that: |
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| 24 | 24 | | (A) Internet publication of notices is in the |
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| 25 | 25 | | public interest; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (B) Internet publication of notices will not, |
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| 27 | 27 | | after consideration of the level of Internet access in the |
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| 28 | 28 | | applicable area, unreasonably restrict public access to the |
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| 29 | 29 | | notices; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | (C) the cost of publishing the notices in a |
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| 31 | 31 | | newspaper exceeds the cost of Internet publication; |
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| 32 | 32 | | (2) the governmental entity or representative posts |
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| 33 | 33 | | the governing body's findings on the entity's or representative's |
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| 34 | 34 | | Internet website; and |
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| 35 | 35 | | (3) the governmental entity or representative also |
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| 36 | 36 | | prominently posts each notice for public review at the office |
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| 37 | 37 | | location of the governmental entity or representative that is the |
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| 38 | 38 | | most accessible to the intended recipients of the notice. |
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| 39 | 39 | | (c) A notice posted under this section must, to the extent |
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| 40 | 40 | | possible, meet the time, content, appearance, and other |
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| 41 | 41 | | requirements provided by law for the posting of the notice. |
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| 42 | 42 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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