| 1 | 1 | | 2023S0156-T 02/15/23 |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Lozano H.B. No. 3718 |
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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 the presiding officer of the governing |
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| 8 | 8 | | body of a political subdivision to issue an order closing a business |
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| 9 | 9 | | in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. |
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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 E, Chapter 418, Government Code, is |
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| 12 | 12 | | amended by adding Section 184.1086 is amended to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 418.1086. BAN ON COVID-19-RELATED BUSINESS CLOSURES OR |
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| 14 | 14 | | LIMITATIONS. The governing body of a political subdivision or its |
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| 15 | 15 | | presiding officer shall not issue an order, enact an ordinance, or |
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| 16 | 16 | | take any other action having the force and effect of law that would |
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| 17 | 17 | | limit or prohibit any business activity or services in response to |
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| 18 | 18 | | the COVID-19 pandemic. |
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| 19 | 19 | | SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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| 20 | 20 | | to an order issued on or after the effective date of this Act. An |
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| 21 | 21 | | order issued before the effective date of this Act is governed by |
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| 22 | 22 | | the law in effect on the date the order was issued, and the former |
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| 23 | 23 | | law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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| 24 | 24 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 25 | 25 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 26 | 26 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 27 | 27 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 28 | 28 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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