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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the use of public schools as polling place locations. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 43.031, Election Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (f) to read as |
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follows: |
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(c) The building selected for a polling place shall be a |
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public building if practicable. Except as provided by Subsection |
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(f), the [The] entity that owns or controls a public building shall |
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make the building available for use as a polling place in any |
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election that covers territory in which the building is located. If |
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more than one authority requests the use of the building for the |
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same day and simultaneous use is impracticable, the entity that |
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owns or controls the building shall determine which authority may |
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use the building. |
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(f) If the public building selected for a polling place |
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under this section is located on a school campus and the board of |
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trustees of the school district determines that the use of that |
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building during school hours would conflict with an applicable |
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campus security policy, the board is not required to make the |
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building available for use as a polling place. |
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SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply |
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beginning with the 2023-2024 school year. |
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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, 2023. |