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               A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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               AN ACT
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            relating to the authority of certain counties to regulate noise  | 
         
         
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            levels in residential areas; creating a criminal offense. | 
         
         
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                   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
         
         
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                   SECTION 1.  Chapter 240, Local Government Code, is amended  | 
         
         
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            by adding Subchapter D to read as follows: | 
         
         
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            SUBCHAPTER D.  REGULATION OF NOISE LEVELS IN CERTAIN COUNTIES | 
         
         
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                   Sec. 240.061.  AUTHORITY TO REGULATE.  (a)  To promote public  | 
         
         
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            health, safety, and welfare, the commissioners court of a county  | 
         
         
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            with a population of 250,000 or less by order may regulate the level  | 
         
         
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            of noise emanating from a property at night located in a residential  | 
         
         
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            area in the unincorporated area of the county. | 
         
         
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                   (b)  This section does not authorize the commissioners court  | 
         
         
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            of a county to regulate the use of: | 
         
         
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                         (1)  firearms; or | 
         
         
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                         (2)  fireworks. | 
         
         
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                   Sec. 240.062.  CRIMINAL OFFENSE.  (a)  A person commits an  | 
         
         
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            offense if the person violates an order adopted under Section  | 
         
         
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            240.061 and the order defines the violation as an offense. | 
         
         
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                   (b)  An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor. | 
         
         
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                   SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |