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          AN ACT
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        relating to the certification of an area's wet or dry status for the  | 
      
      
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        purpose of an alcoholic beverage permit or license. | 
      
      
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               BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
      
      
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               SECTION 1.  Sections 11.37(a), (b), and (d), Alcoholic  | 
      
      
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        Beverage Code, are amended to read as follows: | 
      
      
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               (a)  Not later than the 30th day after the date a prospective  | 
      
      
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        applicant for a permit issued by the commission requests  | 
      
      
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        certification, the [The] county clerk of the county in which the  | 
      
      
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        request [an application for a permit] is made shall certify whether  | 
      
      
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        the location or address given in the request [application] is in a  | 
      
      
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        wet area and whether the sale of alcoholic beverages for which the  | 
      
      
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        permit is sought is prohibited by any valid order of the  | 
      
      
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        commissioners court. | 
      
      
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               (b)  Not later than the 30th day after the date a prospective  | 
      
      
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        applicant for a permit issued by the commission requests  | 
      
      
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        certification, the [The] city secretary or clerk of the city in  | 
      
      
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        which the request [an application for a permit] is made shall  | 
      
      
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        certify whether the location or address given in the request  | 
      
      
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        [application] is in a wet area and whether the sale of alcoholic  | 
      
      
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        beverages for which the permit is sought is prohibited by charter or  | 
      
      
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        ordinance. | 
      
      
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               (d)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, if the  | 
      
      
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        county clerk, city secretary, or city clerk certifies that the  | 
      
      
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        location or address given in the request [application] is not in a  | 
      
      
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        wet area or refuses to issue the certification required by this  | 
      
      
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        section, the prospective applicant is entitled to a hearing before  | 
      
      
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        the county judge to contest the certification or refusal to  | 
      
      
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        certify.  The prospective applicant must submit a written request  | 
      
      
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        to the county judge for a hearing under this subsection.  The  | 
      
      
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        county judge shall conduct a hearing required by this subsection  | 
      
      
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        not later than the 30th day after the date the county judge receives  | 
      
      
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        the written request. | 
      
      
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               SECTION 2.  Sections 61.37(a), (b), and (d), Alcoholic  | 
      
      
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        Beverage Code, are amended to read as follows: | 
      
      
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               (a)  Not later than the 30th day after the date a prospective  | 
      
      
        | 
           
			 | 
        applicant for a license issued by the commission requests  | 
      
      
        | 
           
			 | 
        certification, the [The] county clerk of the county in which the  | 
      
      
        | 
           
			 | 
        request [an application for a license] is made shall certify  | 
      
      
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        whether the location or address given in the request [application]  | 
      
      
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        is in a wet area and whether the sale of alcoholic beverages for  | 
      
      
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        which the license is sought is prohibited by any valid order of the  | 
      
      
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        commissioners court. | 
      
      
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               (b)  Not later than the 30th day after the date a prospective  | 
      
      
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        applicant for a license issued by the commission requests  | 
      
      
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        certification, the [The] city secretary or clerk of the city in  | 
      
      
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        which the request [an application for a license] is made shall  | 
      
      
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        certify whether the location or address given in the request  | 
      
      
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        [application] is in a wet area and whether the sale of alcoholic  | 
      
      
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        beverages for which the license is sought is prohibited by charter  | 
      
      
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        or ordinance. | 
      
      
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               (d)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, if the  | 
      
      
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        county clerk, city secretary, or city clerk certifies that the  | 
      
      
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        location or address given in the request [application] is not in a  | 
      
      
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        wet area or refuses to issue the certification required by this  | 
      
      
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        section, the prospective applicant is entitled to a hearing before  | 
      
      
        | 
           
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        the county judge to contest the certification or refusal to  | 
      
      
        | 
           
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        certify.  The prospective applicant must submit a written request  | 
      
      
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        to the county judge for a hearing under this subsection.  The county  | 
      
      
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        judge shall conduct a hearing required by this subsection not later  | 
      
      
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        than the 30th day after the date the county judge receives the  | 
      
      
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        written request. | 
      
      
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               SECTION 3.  Sections 11.37 and 61.37, Alcoholic Beverage  | 
      
      
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        Code, as amended by this Act, apply only to an application for a  | 
      
      
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        permit or license received on or after the effective date of this  | 
      
      
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        Act.  An application for a permit or license received before the  | 
      
      
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        effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect  | 
      
      
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        immediately before the effective date of this Act, and that law is  | 
      
      
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        continued in effect for that purpose. | 
      
      
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               SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. | 
      
      
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        ______________________________ | 
        ______________________________ | 
      
      
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           President of the Senate | 
        Speaker of the House      | 
      
      
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               I certify that H.B. No. 1443 was passed by the House on April  | 
      
      
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        26, 2019, by the following vote:  Yeas 137, Nays 2, 2 present, not  | 
      
      
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        voting. | 
      
      
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        ______________________________ | 
      
      
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        Chief Clerk of the House    | 
      
      
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               I certify that H.B. No. 1443 was passed by the Senate on May  | 
      
      
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        15, 2019, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0. | 
      
      
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        ______________________________ | 
      
      
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        Secretary of the Senate     | 
      
      
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        APPROVED:  _____________________ | 
      
      
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                           Date           | 
      
      
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                  _____________________ | 
      
      
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                         Governor        |