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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to requiring a record vote by each house of the legislature |
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on final passage of a bill and to public notice of the record vote. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 301, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 301.035 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 301.035. RECORD VOTE ON BILLS REQUIRED. (a) A vote |
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taken by a house of the legislature on final passage of a bill must |
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be a record vote. For purposes of this subsection, a vote on final |
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passage includes a vote on a bill's third reading in a house, or on |
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second reading if the house suspends the requirement for three |
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readings, on whether to concur in the other house's amendments to |
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the bill, and on whether to adopt a conference committee report on |
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the bill. |
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(b) How each member voted shall be recorded in the journal |
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of the appropriate house. |
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(c) The secretary of the senate or chief clerk of the house |
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of representatives, as applicable, shall: |
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(1) publish each record vote required by this section, |
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including the vote of each member of the applicable house, on the |
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public Internet site maintained by or for that house; and |
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(2) maintain that information on the Internet site for |
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at least one year after the date the vote is taken. |
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(d) This section does not apply to: |
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(1) a bill that applies only to or in one identifiable |
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district or political subdivision of this state; or |
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(2) a bill to enact a fence or stock law or a law for |
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the preservation of game or fish affecting a defined geographic |
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area in the state. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2007 |
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. |