80R1036 JSA-D

By: Branch H.B. No. 83

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, 2007 .