By:  Jones, D.                                        H.B. No. 1601
       73R6060 LJR-F
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the disclosure of applications for petitions for a
    1-3  local option election on the sale of alcoholic beverages and to the
    1-4  disclosure of those petitions.
    1-5        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-6        SECTION 1.  Chapter 251, Alcoholic Beverage Code, is amended
    1-7  by adding Section 251.18 to read as follows:
    1-8        Sec. 251.18.  APPLICATIONS AND PETITIONS AS PUBLIC
    1-9  INFORMATION.  (a)  An application for a petition, a petition, and
   1-10  the signatures on an application or petition are public information
   1-11  and open for inspection.  A copy of an application or petition
   1-12  shall be made available within the same business day of the request
   1-13  to any person requesting it.  The person or official who has
   1-14  custody of the document may charge a reasonable fee for making a
   1-15  copy of the document, not to exceed 25 cents per page.
   1-16        (b)  The county clerk shall print in capital letters and
   1-17  bold-faced type the following notice after the headings required on
   1-18  applications for petitions and petitions:  "NOTICE:  THIS DOCUMENT
   1-19  IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AT ANY TIME BY A SIGNER, AN INTERESTED
   1-20  PERSON, OR THE NEWS MEDIA.  STATE LAW REQUIRES THE PERSON HAVING
   1-21  CUSTODY OF THIS DOCUMENT TO PROVIDE A COPY WITHIN THE SAME BUSINESS
   1-22  DAY TO ANY PERSON MAKING A REQUEST.  THE CUSTODIAN MAY MAKE A
   1-23  REASONABLE CHARGE FOR THE COPY (NOT TO EXCEED 25› PER PAGE)."
   1-24        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-1  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-2  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-3  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-4  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
    2-5  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
    2-6  passage, and it is so enacted.