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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating |
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to notice given of election precinct boundary changes. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 42.034, Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 42.034. NOTICE TO REGISTRAR; REGISTRAR TO MAKE MAP |
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AVAILABLE. (a) The commissioners court shall deliver a certified |
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copy of an order changing a county election precinct boundary to the |
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voter registrar not later than the seventh day after the date the |
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order is adopted. |
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(b) The registrar shall make an electronic version of the |
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precinct boundary map available on the website of the county. If no |
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county website is maintained, the registrar shall provide copies of |
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the precinct boundary map upon written request. |
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SECTION 2. Sections 42.035(a) and (c), Election Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) Not later than [Beginning with] the first week following |
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the week in which an order changing a county election precinct |
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boundary is adopted, the commissioners court shall publish notice |
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of the change in a newspaper in the county once a week for three |
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consecutive weeks and on the website of the county. |
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(c) If no county website is maintained or no newspaper is |
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published in the county, the commissioners court shall post the |
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notice at the county courthouse on the bulletin board used for |
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posting notice of meetings of the commissioners court. The notice |
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must remain posted continuously for three consecutive weeks. |
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SECTION 3. The heading to Section 42.036, Election Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 42.036. ADDITIONAL NOTICE TO CERTAIN COUNTY CHAIRS [IN
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POPULOUS COUNTIES]. |
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SECTION 4. Section 42.036(b), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) The commissioners court shall deliver written notice of |
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each proposed change and of each order making a change in a county |
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election precinct boundary to[:
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[(1)] the county chair of each political party that |
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held a primary election in the county on the most recent general |
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primary day[;
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[(2)
the political party's precinct chair of each
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affected election precinct; and
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[(3)
the presiding judge appointed by the
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commissioners court for each affected election precinct]. |
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SECTION 5. Sections 42.037(a) and (c), Election Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) Not later than the 120th day after the date an order |
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changing a county election precinct boundary is adopted, the county |
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clerk shall deliver to the secretary of state a map depicting the |
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affected precinct's boundary as changed and showing the number of |
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the precinct. The map may be delivered in an electronic format. |
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(c) The state librarian shall retain the map for 20 years |
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after receipt, except that for a map delivered in electronic |
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format, the state librarian may retain the map for more than 20 |
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years to follow standard retention practices. |
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SECTION 6. Section 42.036(a), Election Code, is repealed. |
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SECTION 7. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |