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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to ballot language for certain propositions to approve |
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actions by a county, city, school district, or other special |
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district. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 52.072, Election Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (e) and adding Subsection (f) to read as |
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follows: |
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(e) In addition to any other requirement imposed by law for |
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a proposition, including a provision prescribing the proposition |
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language, a proposition submitted to the voters for approval of the |
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issuance of bonds or the imposition, increase, or reduction of a tax |
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shall specifically state, as applicable: |
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(1) with respect to a proposition seeking voter |
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approval of the issuance of bonds: |
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(A) the total principal amount of the bonds to be |
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authorized, if approved; [and] |
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(B) a general description of the purposes for |
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which the bonds are to be authorized, if approved; and |
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(C) if the issuer is a political subdivision, |
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including a county, city, school district, or other special |
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district: |
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(i) the total amount of the political |
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subdivision's outstanding debt on the first day of the fiscal year |
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in which the election is held; |
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(ii) the total amount of the political |
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subdivision's debt payments on the first day of the fiscal year in |
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which the election is held; |
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(iii) the total amount of the political |
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subdivision's debt obligations on the first day of the fiscal year |
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in which the election is held, stated as a per capita amount for the |
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political subdivision's population; and |
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(iv) the estimated tax rate if the bonds are |
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authorized, stated as a per capita amount for the political |
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subdivision's population; |
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(2) with respect to a proposition that only seeks |
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voter approval of the imposition or increase of a tax: |
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(A) [,] the amount of or maximum tax rate of the |
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tax or tax increase for which approval is sought; and |
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(B) if the authority holding the election is a |
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political subdivision, including a county, city, school district, |
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or other special district: |
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(i) the tax rate increase if the imposition |
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or increase is approved, stated as a per capita amount for the |
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political subdivision's population; and |
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(ii) a detailed description of the purposes |
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for which the tax is to be imposed or increased, if approved; or |
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(3) with respect to a proposition that only seeks |
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voter approval of the reduction of a tax: |
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(A) [,] the amount of tax rate reduction or the |
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tax rate for which approval is sought; and |
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(B) if the authority holding the election is a |
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political subdivision, including a county, city, school district, |
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or other special district, the estimated tax rate reduction, stated |
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as a per capita amount for the political subdivision's population. |
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(f) A proposition to which Subsection (e) applies may not |
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exceed: |
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(1) 5,000 characters; or |
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(2) a different limit prescribed by the secretary of |
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state that ensures that the length of the proposition does not |
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exceed one page of the ballot or one screen on an electronic voting |
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machine. |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to an election ordered on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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An election ordered before the effective date of this Act is |
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governed by the law in effect when the election was ordered. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |