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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to voter approval of a county or municipal budget that |
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reduces by a certain percentage the amount allocated to train and |
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compensate individuals who provide a fire protection, law |
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enforcement, or emergency medical service. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 140, Local Government Code, is amended |
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by adding Section 140.0047 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 140.0047. ELECTION REQUIRED FOR REDUCTION IN BUDGET |
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FOR PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL EXPENSES. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Public safety personnel expenses" means money |
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spent to train and compensate individuals who provide a public |
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safety service. |
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(2) "Public safety service" means a fire protection, |
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law enforcement, or emergency medical service. |
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(b) This section does not apply to the budget for a |
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municipal department that employs 20 or fewer public safety |
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personnel for a public safety service. |
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(c) If a county or municipality adopts a budget in which the |
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amount of money allocated for public safety personnel expenses for |
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a public safety service is less than the amount allocated for those |
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expenses in the preceding fiscal year by more than the sum of the |
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percentage by which the county's or municipality's total revenue is |
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reduced from the preceding fiscal year and five percent, the |
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registered voters of the county or municipality, as applicable, at |
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an election held for that purpose, must determine whether to |
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approve the amount allocated. |
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(d) The governing body of the county or municipality shall |
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order that the election be held in the county or municipality, as |
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applicable, on the earliest date that allows sufficient time to |
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comply with the requirements of other law for holding the election, |
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except Section 41.001(a), Election Code. Notwithstanding Section |
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41.001(a), Election Code, the county or municipality may hold the |
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election on a date other than a uniform election date. |
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(e) If a majority of votes cast in the election favor |
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approving the amount allocated for the public safety personnel |
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expenses, the budget is approved. If the amount allocated is not |
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approved, the governing body shall amend the budget by allocating |
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for the public safety personnel expenses an amount for the current |
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fiscal year that is not less than the amount allocated for those |
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expenses in the preceding fiscal year reduced by a percentage equal |
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to the sum of the percentage by which the county's or municipality's |
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total revenue is reduced from the preceding fiscal year and five |
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percent. |
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(f) For purposes of determining the amount of reduction of |
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the amount allocated in a budget for public safety personnel |
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expenses, reductions of the budget related to the termination of |
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personnel for bad conduct are not included. |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to a budget adopted by a county or municipality on or after the |
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effective date of this Act. |
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SECTION 3. 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, 2021. |