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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to requiring certain metropolitan rapid transit |
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authorities to hold a referendum before spending any money for a |
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fixed rail transit system. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 451, Transportation Code, |
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is amended by adding Section 451.073 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 451.073. REFERENDUM FOR RAIL PLAN; CERTAIN |
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AUTHORITIES. (a) This section applies only to an authority created |
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before 1980 in which the principal municipality has a population of |
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less than 1.9 million. |
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(b) Before the authority may spend any funds to purchase, |
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acquire, construct, operate, or maintain any form of a fixed rail |
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transit system, the authority must hold a referendum on whether the |
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authority may operate a fixed rail transit system. At the election |
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the ballots shall be printed to permit voting for or against the |
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following proposition: "The operation of a fixed rail system by |
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(name of authority)." |
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(c) The notice of an election called under this section must |
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include a general description of the form of the fixed rail transit |
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system, including the general location of any proposed routes. |
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(d) If a majority of the votes cast are in favor of the |
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proposition, the authority may build and operate the system as |
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provided in the notice for the election. If less than a majority of |
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the votes cast are in favor of the proposition, the authority may |
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not expend funds of the authority to purchase, acquire, construct, |
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operate, or maintain any form of a fixed rail transit system unless |
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the system is approved by a majority of the votes cast at a |
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referendum held by the authority for that purpose. |
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(e) A subsequent referendum under Subsection (d): |
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(1) may be held more than once; |
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(2) is held in the same manner as the initial |
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referendum; and |
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(3) may not be held before the first anniversary of an |
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election previously held under this section. |
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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. |