Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB622 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	88R26372 MP-D
2	2	By: Shaheen, Cook H.B. No. 622
3	3	Substitute the following for H.B. No. 622:
4	4	By: Stucky C.S.H.B. No. 622
5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the publication of required notice by certain political
10	10	subdivisions by alternative media.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Chapter 2051, Government Code, is amended by
13	13	adding Subchapter C-1 to read as follows:
14	14	SUBCHAPTER C-1. NOTICE BY PUBLICATION IN MEDIA OTHER THAN
15	15	NEWSPAPER BY CERTAIN POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS
16	16	Sec. 2051.081. APPLICABILITY. This subchapter applies only
17	17	to a political subdivision with a population of 75,000 or less and
18	18	in which there is no newspaper of general circulation. If no
19	19	population is specified for a political subdivision in the federal
20	20	decennial census, the population of the political subdivision is
21	21	the population determined by the attorney general for purposes of
22	22	this section.
23	23	Sec. 2051.082. NOTICE BY ALTERNATIVE MEDIA. (a) A
24	24	political subdivision may satisfy a requirement in any other law to
25	25	provide notice by publication in a newspaper by publishing the
26	26	notice:
27	27	(1) by media described by Subsection (d); and
28	28	(2) for a continuous period of not less than two weeks
29	29	in a prominent location on an Internet website maintained by the
30	30	political subdivision that does not require user registration or
31	31	payment for access.
32	32	(b) A political subdivision that publishes notice on an
33	33	Internet website under Subsection (a)(2) must ensure that:
34	34	(1) the Internet website and the notices are
35	35	searchable; and
36	36	(2) that a user is able to search the notices by:
37	37	(A) subject matter;
38	38	(B) the location required to be provided in the
39	39	notice under the other laws that require notice by publication in a
40	40	newspaper; and
41	41	(C) both subject matter and location.
42	42	(c) Before providing notice by an alternative method under
43	43	Subsection (a), a political subdivision must hold a public meeting
44	44	about the alternative notice method.
45	45	(d) The following forms of media are authorized for
46	46	providing notice under Subsection (a)(1):
47	47	(1) social media;
48	48	(2) free newspapers;
49	49	(3) school newspapers;
50	50	(4) a homeowners' association newsletter or magazine;
51	51	(5) utility bills;
52	52	(6) direct mailings; and
53	53	(7) a print or digital newsletter.
54	54	(e) A political subdivision that provides notice using
55	55	alternative media under this section shall submit notice to the
56	56	attorney general describing the alternative notice method that
57	57	includes:
58	58	(1) a list of the other laws requiring notice by
59	59	publication in a newspaper for which notice published under this
60	60	section is an alternative;
61	61	(2) a description of the alternative media used for
62	62	the notice; and
63	63	(3) a link to the Internet website maintained by the
64	64	political subdivision where the public notice will be posted.
65	65	(f) After receipt of the notice under Subsection (e), the
66	66	attorney general shall promptly publish on the attorney general's
67	67	Internet website a list of political subdivisions that provide
68	68	notice as described by this subchapter.
69	69	Sec. 2051.083. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY. The attorney general
70	70	may adopt rules necessary to administer this subchapter.
71	71	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.