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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the participation of certain large counties in the |
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countywide polling place program. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 43.007, Election Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (b) and (i) and adding Subsection (d-1) to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) The commissioners court of a county that desires to |
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participate in the program authorized by this section or a county |
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with a population of more than 1.5 million in which more than 75 |
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percent of the population lives in a single municipality shall hold |
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a public hearing on the county's participation in the program. The |
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commissioners court shall submit a transcript or electronic |
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recording of the public comments made at the hearing to the |
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secretary of state. A county that has previously participated in a |
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similar program and held a public hearing on the county's |
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participation in that program is not required to hold a hearing |
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under this subsection. |
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(d-1) The secretary of state shall select to participate in |
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the program each county that has a population of more than 1.5 |
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million in which more than 75 percent of the population lives in a |
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single municipality. |
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(i) The secretary of state may only select to participate in |
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the program six counties with a population of 100,000 or more, not |
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including a county selected under Subsection (d-1), and four |
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counties with a population of less than 100,000. |
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SECTION 2. 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. |