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.