| 1 | 1 | | By: Patterson H.B. No. 845 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to prohibiting a public institution of higher education |
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| 7 | 7 | | from providing financial support to nonprofit media organizations. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the Free Press Act. |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 51.980 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 51.980. FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF NONPROFIT MEDIA |
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| 13 | 13 | | ORGANIZATION PROHIBITED. (a) In this section, "institution of |
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| 14 | 14 | | higher education" has the meaning assigned by Section 61.003. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (b) Notwithstanding any other law, an institution of higher |
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| 16 | 16 | | education may not use funds from any source to provide financial |
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| 17 | 17 | | support, including through the purchase of a membership, |
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| 18 | 18 | | sponsorship, or advertising services, to a media organization that |
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| 19 | 19 | | is exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(a), Internal |
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| 20 | 20 | | Revenue Code of 1986, by being listed as an exempt organization in |
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| 21 | 21 | | Section 501(c)(3) of that code. |
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| 22 | 22 | | SECTION 3. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this |
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| 23 | 23 | | section, Section 51.980, Education Code, as added by this Act, |
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| 24 | 24 | | applies only to an expenditure of funds that is made on or after the |
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| 25 | 25 | | effective date of this Act. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (b) Section 51.980, Education Code, as added by this Act, |
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| 27 | 27 | | does not affect an expenditure of funds made under the terms of a |
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| 28 | 28 | | contract entered into before the effective date of this Act. An |
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| 29 | 29 | | expenditure of funds made under the terms of a contract entered into |
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| 30 | 30 | | before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in |
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| 31 | 31 | | effect on the date the contract was entered into, and the former law |
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| 32 | 32 | | is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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| 33 | 33 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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