79R1191 JSA-D
By: Branch H.B. No. 54
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to requiring a record vote by each house of the legislature
on final passage of a bill and to public notice of the record vote.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 301, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 301.035 to read as follows:
Sec. 301.035. RECORD VOTE ON BILLS REQUIRED. (a) A vote
taken by a house of the legislature on final passage of a bill must
be a record vote. For purposes of this subsection, a vote on final
passage includes a vote on a bill's third reading in a house, or on
second reading if the house suspends the requirement for three
readings, on whether to concur in the other house's amendments to
the bill, and on whether to adopt a conference committee report on
the bill.
(b) How each member voted shall be recorded in the journal
of the appropriate house.
(c) The secretary of the senate or chief clerk of the house
of representatives, as applicable, shall:
(1) publish each record vote required by this section,
including the vote of each member of the applicable house, on the
public Internet site maintained by or for that house; and
(2) maintain that information on the Internet site for
at least one year after the date the vote is taken.
(d) This section does not apply to:
(1) a bill that applies only to or in one identifiable
district or political subdivision of this state; or
(2) a bill to enact a fence or stock law or a law for
the preservation of game or fish affecting a defined geographic
area in the state.
SECTION 2. 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, 2005.