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A JOINT RESOLUTION
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proposing a constitutional amendment to limit the time that a |
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person may serve as a member of the Texas Legislature, a statewide |
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elected officer in the executive branch, or a state employee in the |
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legislative or executive branch of state government. |
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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Article III, Texas Constitution, is amended by |
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adding Section 7a to read as follows: |
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Sec. 7a. (a) A person is not eligible to be elected to the |
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house of representatives if, before the date of the election, the |
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person has served as a member of the house for eight whole regular |
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sessions of the legislature. |
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(b) A person is not eligible to be elected to the senate if, |
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before the date of the election, the person has served as a member |
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of the senate for eight whole regular sessions of the legislature. |
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This subsection does not prohibit a person who has served as a |
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member of the senate for seven whole regular sessions of the |
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legislature from being elected to or serving a four-year term in the |
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senate even though at the end of that term the person will have |
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served for more than eight whole regular sessions. |
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(c) A person is not eligible to be elected to the house of |
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representatives or the senate if, before the date of election, the |
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person has served in either chamber of the legislature for 12 whole |
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regular sessions of the legislature. This section does not |
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prohibit a person who has served in either chamber of the |
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legislature for 11 whole regular sessions of the legislature from |
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being elected to or serving a four-year term in the senate even |
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though at the end of that term the person will have served for more |
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than 12 whole regular sessions. |
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(d) For purposes of this section, a person is considered to |
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have served for one whole regular session of the legislature for |
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every two years the person served in an elective office listed in |
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Section 1, Article IV, of this constitution or any other state |
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office elected by the voters at a statewide election other than a |
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judicial office. For purposes of this subsection, "year" means 12 |
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consecutive months. |
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(e) Legislative service before the legislature convenes in |
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regular session in 2027 is not counted in determining whether a |
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person is disqualified from election to office under this section. |
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Service in an elective office listed in Section 1, Article IV, of |
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this constitution, or service in any other state office elected by |
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the voters at a statewide election other than a judicial office, |
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whose term of office is completed on or before January 1, 2027, is |
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not counted in determining whether a person is disqualified from |
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election to office under this section. |
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SECTION 2. Article IV, Texas Constitution, is amended by |
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adding Section 2a to read as follows: |
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Sec. 2a. (a) In this section, "year" means 12 consecutive |
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months. |
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(b) A person is not eligible to be elected to an elective |
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office listed in Section 1 of this article or to any other state |
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office elected by the voters at a statewide election, other than a |
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judicial office, if on or before the date the person will begin to |
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serve in that office the person will have served for a total of 16 or |
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more years in those offices. |
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(c) For purposes of this section, a person is considered to |
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have served for two years in an office described by Subsection (b) |
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of this section for each whole regular session the person served as |
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a representative or senator in the legislature. |
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(d) Nothing in this section prohibits a person from |
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continuing to serve in an office covered by this section after the |
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end of a term as a holdover under Section 17, Article XVI, of this |
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constitution until a successor is qualified. |
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(e) Service in office before January 1, 2027, does not count |
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for purposes of determining whether a person is disqualified from |
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office under this section. |
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SECTION 3. Article XVI, Texas Constitution, is amended by |
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adding Section 74 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 74. The legislature by general law shall prohibit any |
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state employee from serving for a total of more than 24 years in the |
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legislative or executive branch of state government. |
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SECTION 4. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be |
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submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 4, 2025. |
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The ballot shall be printed to provide for voting for or against the |
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following proposition: "The constitutional amendment to limit the |
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time that a person may serve as a member of the Texas Legislature, a |
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statewide elected officer in the executive branch, or a state |
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employee in the legislative or executive branch of state |
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government." |