By:  Jones, D.                                        H.B. No. 1600
       73R6059 LJR-F
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the payment of the expenses for holding a local option
    1-3  election on the sale of alcoholic beverages.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Section 251.40(b), Alcoholic Beverage Code, is
    1-6  amended to read as follows:
    1-7        (b)  County expense is limited to the holding of one election
    1-8  in each of the political subdivisions in Subsection (a) of this
    1-9  section in a one-year period where the intent of the election is to
   1-10  legalize the sale of alcoholic beverages and<.  County expense is
   1-11  limited to the holding of> one election in each of the political
   1-12  subdivisions in Subsection (a) of this section in a one-year period
   1-13  where the intent of the election is to prohibit the sale of
   1-14  alcoholic beverages.  The county is not liable for the expense of
   1-15  an election to legalize or prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages
   1-16  in a political subdivision, however, unless the number of qualified
   1-17  voters certified under Section 251.10 of this code as signing the
   1-18  petition submitted to call that election equals or exceeds 33
   1-19  percent of the number of registered voters in that political
   1-20  subdivision according to the most recent official list of
   1-21  registered voters.
   1-22        SECTION 2.  Section 251.41(b), Alcoholic Beverage Code, is
   1-23  amended to read as follows:
   1-24        (b)  The deposit must be in the form of a cashier's check in
    2-1  the total amount of $1 <25 cents> per voter listed on the current
    2-2  list of registered voters residing in the county, justice precinct,
    2-3  or incorporated city or town where the election is to be held.
    2-4        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-5  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-6  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-7  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-8  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
    2-9  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   2-10  passage, and it is so enacted.