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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the authority of general-law municipalities to restrict |
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sex offenders from child safety zones in the municipality. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 341, Local Government |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 341.906 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 341.906. LIMITATIONS ON REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS IN |
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GENERAL-LAW MUNICIPALITY. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Child safety zone" means premises where children |
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commonly gather. The term includes a school, day-care facility, |
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playground, public or private youth center, public swimming pool, |
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video arcade facility, or other facility that regularly holds |
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events primarily for children. |
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(2) "Playground," "premises," "school," "video arcade |
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facility," and "youth center" have the meanings assigned by Section |
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481.134, Health and Safety Code. |
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(b) To provide for the public safety, the governing body of |
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a general-law municipality by ordinance may restrict an individual |
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who is required to register as a sex offender under Chapter 62, Code |
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of Criminal Procedure, from going in, on, or within a specified |
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distance of a child safety zone in the municipality. |
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(c) The ordinance may establish a distance requirement |
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described by Subsection (b) at any distance of not more than 1,000 |
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feet. |
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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, 2015. |