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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to removal of political advertising signs placed in a |
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municipality; creating a criminal offense. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 255, Election Code, is amended by adding |
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Section 255.0075 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 255.0075. REMOVAL OF POLITICAL ADVERTISING SIGNS |
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PLACED IN MUNICIPALITY. (a) In this section, "political |
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advertising sign" means a written form of political advertising |
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designed to be seen from a road but does not include a bumper |
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sticker. |
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(b) A person, including a candidate or campaign treasurer, |
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who instructs another person to place a political advertising sign |
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alongside a public road within the corporate boundaries of a |
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municipality shall remove or cause the removal of the sign not later |
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than the 30th day after the date of the last occurring election to |
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which the sign pertains. For purposes of this subsection, a sign |
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supporting or opposing a candidate in an election does not pertain |
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to a resulting runoff election for which the candidate does not |
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qualify. |
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(c) If a political advertising sign is not removed in |
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accordance with Subsection (b), the municipality in which the sign |
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is located shall remove the sign at the expense of a person |
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responsible for the sign as soon as practicable. |
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(d) A person who violates Subsection (b) commits an offense. |
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An offense under this subsection is a Class C misdemeanor |
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punishable by a fine not to exceed $100. Each day of a violation |
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constitutes a separate offense. For purposes of this subsection, a |
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person does not violate Subsection (b) after a municipality has |
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removed a political advertising sign under Subsection (c). |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |