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               A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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               AN ACT
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            relating to a vacancy in the office of senator or representative due  | 
         
         
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            to excessive absence. | 
         
         
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                   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
         
         
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                   SECTION 1.  Subchapter F, Chapter 301, Government Code, is  | 
         
         
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            amended by adding Section 301.074 to read as follows: | 
         
         
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                   Sec. 301.074.  VACANCY DUE TO EXCESSIVE ABSENCE.  A member of  | 
         
         
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            the legislature vacates the member's office if the member is absent  | 
         
         
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            from all proceedings of the house of the legislature of which the  | 
         
         
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            person is a member, without a leave of absence granted by that  | 
         
         
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            house, for seven consecutive days on which that house meets. | 
         
         
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                   SECTION 2.  Section 301.074, Government Code, as added by  | 
         
         
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            this Act, applies only to an absence that occurs 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 on the 91st day after the last day of the  | 
         
         
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            legislative session. |