By:  Phillips                                                     H.B. No. 2898



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the publication of notice in a newspaper by certain 
governmental entities.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 2051.044, Government Code, is amended by 
adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
	(c)  This section does not apply to notices to which Section 
2051.0441 apply.
	SECTION 2.  Subchapter C, Chapter 2051, Government Code, is 
amended by adding Section 2051.0441 to read as follows:
	Sec. 2051.0441.  ALTERNATIVE NEWSPAPER FOR PUBLICATION OF 
NOTICE.  (a)  In a county with a population of at least 30,000 and 
not more than 45,000, the newspaper in which a notice is published 
must:
		(1)  devote not less than 20 percent of its total column 
lineage to general interest items;
		(2)  be published at least once each week;                             
		(3)  be entered as second-class postal matter in the 
county where published or have a mailed circulation of at least 51 
percent of the homes within the county; and
		(4)  have been published regularly and continuously for 
at least 12 months before the governmental entity or representative 
publishes notice.
	(b)  A weekly newspaper has been published regularly and 
continously under Subsection (a) if the newspaper omits not more 
than two issues in the 12-month period.
	SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this 
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 
Act takes effect September 1, 2003.