Bill Text: TX HB2554 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Enrolled


Bill Title: Relating to regulation of the display of signs containing political advertising.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Passed) 2019-06-10 - Effective on 9/1/19 [HB2554 Detail]

Download: Texas-2019-HB2554-Enrolled.html
 
 
  H.B. No. 2554
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to regulation of the display of signs containing political
  advertising.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Title 15, Election Code, is amended by adding
  Chapter 259, and a heading is added to that chapter to read as
  follows:
  CHAPTER 259. POLITICAL SIGNS
         SECTION 2.  Section 255.007, Election Code, is transferred
  to Chapter 259, Election Code, as added by this Act, and
  redesignated as Section 259.001, Election Code, to read as follows:
         Sec. 259.001  [255.007].  NOTICE REQUIREMENT ON POLITICAL
  ADVERTISING SIGNS. (a) The following notice must be written on
  each political advertising sign:
         "NOTICE: IT IS A VIOLATION OF STATE LAW (CHAPTERS 392 AND
  393, TRANSPORTATION CODE), TO PLACE THIS SIGN IN THE RIGHT-OF-WAY
  OF A HIGHWAY."
         (b)  A person commits an offense if the person:
               (1)  knowingly enters into a contract to print or make a
  political advertising sign that does not contain the notice
  required by Subsection (a); or
               (2)  instructs another person to place a political
  advertising sign that does not contain the notice required by
  Subsection (a).
         (c)  An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor.
         (d)  It is an exception to the application of Subsection (b)
  that the political advertising sign was printed or made before
  September 1, 1997, and complied with Subsection (a) as it existed
  immediately before that date.
         (e)  In this section, "political advertising sign" means a
  written form of political advertising designed to be seen from a
  road but does not include a bumper sticker.
         SECTION 3.  Section 202.009, Property Code, is transferred
  to Chapter 259, Election Code, as added by this Act, redesignated as
  Section 259.002, Election Code, and amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 259.002  [202.009].  REGULATION OF DISPLAY OF
  POLITICAL SIGNS BY PROPERTY OWNERS' ASSOCIATION. (a) In this
  section, "property owners' association" has the meaning assigned by
  Section 202.001, Property Code.
         (b)  Except as otherwise provided by this section, a property
  owners' association may not enforce or adopt a restrictive covenant
  that prohibits a property owner from displaying on the owner's
  property one or more signs advertising a [political] candidate or
  measure [ballot item] for an election:
               (1)  on or after the 90th day before the date of the
  election to which the sign relates; or
               (2)  before the 10th day after that election date.
         (c) [(b)]  This section does not prohibit the enforcement or
  adoption of a covenant that:
               (1)  requires a sign to be ground-mounted; or
               (2)  limits a property owner to displaying only one
  sign for each candidate or measure [ballot item].
         (d) [(c)]  This section does not prohibit the enforcement or
  adoption of a covenant that prohibits a sign that:
               (1)  contains roofing material, siding, paving
  materials, flora, one or more balloons or lights, or any other
  similar building, landscaping, or nonstandard decorative
  component;
               (2)  is attached in any way to plant material, a traffic
  control device, a light, a trailer, a vehicle, or any other existing
  structure or object;
               (3)  includes the painting of architectural surfaces;
               (4)  threatens the public health or safety;
               (5)  is larger than four feet by six feet;
               (6)  violates a law;
               (7)  contains language, graphics, or any display that
  would be offensive to the ordinary person; or
               (8)  is accompanied by music or other sounds or by
  streamers or is otherwise distracting to motorists.
         (e) [(d)]  A property owners' association may remove a sign
  displayed in violation of a restrictive covenant permitted by this
  section.
         SECTION 4.  Section 216.903, Local Government Code, is
  transferred to Chapter 259, Election Code, as added by this Act, and
  redesignated as Section 259.003, Election Code, to read as follows:
         Sec. 259.003  [216.903].  REGULATION OF POLITICAL SIGNS BY
  MUNICIPALITY. (a) In this section, "private real property" does
  not include real property subject to an easement or other
  encumbrance that allows a municipality to use the property for a
  public purpose.
         (b)  A municipal charter provision or ordinance that
  regulates signs may not, for a sign that contains primarily a
  political message and that is located on private real property with
  the consent of the property owner:
               (1)  prohibit the sign from being placed;
               (2)  require a permit or approval of the municipality
  or impose a fee for the sign to be placed;
               (3)  restrict the size of the sign; or
               (4)  provide for a charge for the removal of a political
  sign that is greater than the charge for removal of other signs
  regulated by ordinance.
         (c)  Subsection (b) does not apply to a sign, including a
  billboard, that contains primarily a political message on a
  temporary basis and that is generally available for rent or
  purchase to carry commercial advertising or other messages that are
  not primarily political.
         (d)  Subsection (b) does not apply to a sign that:
               (1)  has an effective area greater than 36 feet;
               (2)  is more than eight feet high;
               (3)  is illuminated; or
               (4)  has any moving elements.
         SECTION 5.  Section 255.001(c), Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (c)  A person may not knowingly use, cause or permit to be
  used, or continue to use any published, distributed, or broadcast
  political advertising containing express advocacy that the person
  knows does not include the disclosure required by Subsection (a).  A
  person is presumed to know that the use of political advertising is
  prohibited by this subsection if the commission notifies the person
  in writing that the use is prohibited.  A person who learns that
  political advertising signs, as defined by Section 259.001
  [255.007], that have been distributed do not include the disclosure
  required by Subsection (a) or include a disclosure that does not
  comply with Subsection (a) does not commit a continuing violation
  of this subsection if the person makes a good faith attempt to
  remove or correct those signs.  A person who learns that printed
  political advertising other than a political advertising sign that
  has been distributed does not include the disclosure required by
  Subsection (a) or includes a disclosure that does not comply with
  Subsection (a) is not required to attempt to recover the political
  advertising and does not commit a continuing violation of this
  subsection as to any previously distributed political advertising.
         SECTION 6.  Section 571.1211(2), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
               (2)  "Category One violation" means a violation of a
  law within jurisdiction of the commission as to which it is
  generally not difficult to ascertain whether the violation occurred
  or did not occur, including:
                     (A)  the failure by a person required to file a
  statement or report to:
                           (i)  file the required statement or report
  in a manner that complies with applicable requirements; or
                           (ii)  timely file the required statement or
  report;
                     (B)  a violation of Section 255.001, Election
  Code;
                     (C)  a misrepresentation in political advertising
  or a campaign communication relating to the office held by a person
  in violation of Section 255.006, Election Code;
                     (D)  a failure to include in any written political
  advertising intended to be seen from a road the right-of-way notice
  in violation of Section 259.001 [255.007], Election Code; or
                     (E)  a failure to timely respond to a written
  notice under Section 571.123(b).
         SECTION 7.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 2554 was passed by the House on May
  10, 2019, by the following vote:  Yeas 141, Nays 0, 2 present, not
  voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 2554 was passed by the Senate on May
  22, 2019, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
  APPROVED:  _____________________
                     Date          
   
            _____________________
                   Governor       
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