TITLE: Relating to the percentage of voters needed to sign a petition requesting a local option election to prohibit or authorize the sale of alcoholic beverages.

SUMMARY: Relating to the percentage of voters needed to sign a petition requesting a local option election to prohibit or authorize the sale of alcoholic beverages.

FULL TEXT:
AN ACT relating to the percentage of voters needed to sign a petition requesting a local option election to prohibit or authorize the sale of alcoholic beverages. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 501.032(a), Election Code, is amended to read as follows: (a) The commissioners court, at its next regular session on or after the 30th day after the date the petition is filed, shall order a local option election to be held on the issue set out in the petition if the petition is filed with the voter registrar not later than the 60th day after the date the petition is issued and bears the actual signatures of a number of qualified voters of the political subdivision equal to at least: (1) 20 [35] percent of the registered voters in the subdivision who voted in the most recent gubernatorial election for a ballot issue that permits voting for or against: (A) "The legal sale of all alcoholic beverages for off-premise consumption only."; (B) "The legal sale of all alcoholic beverages except mixed beverages."; (C) "The legal sale of all alcoholic beverages including mixed beverages."; or (D) "The legal sale of mixed beverages."; (2) 20 [25] percent of the registered voters in the political subdivision who voted in the most recent general election for a ballot issue that permits voting for or against "The legal sale of wine on the premises of a holder of a winery permit."; or (3) 20 [35] percent of the registered voters in the political subdivision who voted in the most recent gubernatorial election for an election on any other ballot issue. SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to a petition filed on or after the effective date of this Act. A petition filed before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect when the petition is filed, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.