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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the posting by a governmental entity on an Internet |
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website of information relating to certain business relationships |
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and to venue for and prosecution by the attorney general of offenses |
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related to the disclosure of those relationships. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 176.009, Local Government Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 176.009. POSTING ON INTERNET. (a) A local |
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governmental entity that maintains an Internet website shall |
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provide access to each statement or questionnaire [the statements
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and to questionnaires] required to be filed under this chapter on |
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that website not later than the fifth day after the date the |
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statement or questionnaire is filed. Each statement or |
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questionnaire posted on a local governmental entity's Internet |
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website must be posted in an electronically searchable format. |
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This subsection does not require a local governmental entity to |
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maintain an Internet website. |
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(b) This subsection applies only to a county with a |
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population of 800,000 or more or a municipality with a population of |
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500,000 or more. A county or municipality shall provide, on the |
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Internet website maintained by the county or municipality, access |
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to each report of political contributions and expenditures filed |
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under Chapter 254, Election Code, by a member of the commissioners |
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court of the county or the governing body of the municipality in |
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relation to that office not later than the fifth day after the date |
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the report is filed. A report posted on an Internet website as |
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required by this subsection must be posted in an electronically |
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searchable format [as soon as practicable after the officer files
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the report]. |
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SECTION 2. Chapter 176, Local Government Code, is amended |
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by adding Sections 176.013 and 176.014 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 176.013. VENUE. An offense under this chapter, |
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including perjury, may be prosecuted in any county in which it may |
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be prosecuted under the Code of Criminal Procedure. |
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Sec. 176.014. PROSECUTION BY ATTORNEY GENERAL. With the |
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consent of the appropriate local county or district attorney, the |
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attorney general has concurrent jurisdiction with that consenting |
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local prosecutor to investigate or prosecute an offense under this |
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chapter. |
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SECTION 3. Section 176.009, Local Government Code, as |
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amended by this Act, applies only to the posting on a local |
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governmental entity's Internet website of a statement, |
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questionnaire, or report filed on or after the effective date of |
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this Act. The posting on a local governmental entity's Internet |
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website of a statement, questionnaire, or report filed before the |
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effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the |
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date the statement, questionnaire, or report is filed, and the |
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former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |