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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to petitions prescribed by law outside of code. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 277, Title 16, Elections Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 277.004. EFFECT OF CITY CHARTER OR ORDINANCE.
Any
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requirements for the validity or verification of petition
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signatures in addition to those prescribed by this chapter that are
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prescribed by a home rule city charter provision or a city ordinance
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are effective only if the charter provision or ordinance was in
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effect September 1, 1985.
TIME TO FILE PETITION. (a) A petition |
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under this chapter must be filed within the later of (1) ninety (90) |
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days after final passage of said order, ordinance, or resolution, |
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or (2) ninety (90) days after its publication. |
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(b) If the city secretary or other authority responsible for |
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verifying the signatures determines the petition contains an |
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insufficient number of signatures, he must state all the specific |
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grounds invalidating any signature. |
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(c) If a petition is invalidated and subsequently refiled, |
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the city secretary or other authority responsible for verifying the |
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signatures may not invalidate a subsequent petition on grounds that |
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existed but were not raised during an earlier determination of |
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v |
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alidity of the petition. |
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Sec. 277.005. CONTENTS OF PETITION. (a) A political |
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subdivision must make available on its website a petition form that |
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complies with state law and the political subdivision's ordinances, |
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orders and other resolutions concerning petitions. |
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(b) The city secretary or other authority responsible for |
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verifying the signatures may not invalidate a petition because it |
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failed to contain information that the political subdivision's |
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petition form provided pursuant to this section itself fails to |
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require. |
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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. |