By:  Eckels                                           H.J.R. No. 56
       73R1321 JSA-D
                                  A JOINT RESOLUTION
    1-1  proposing a constitutional amendment to limit the time that a
    1-2  person may serve in legislative office or in certain executive
    1-3  offices.
    1-4        BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Article III of the Texas Constitution is amended
    1-6  by adding Section 7a to read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 7a.  (a)  A person is not eligible to be elected to the
    1-8  house of representatives if, before the date of the election, the
    1-9  person has served as a member of the house during all or part of
   1-10  six regular sessions of the legislature.
   1-11        (b)  A person is not eligible to be elected to the senate if,
   1-12  before the date of the election, the person has served as a member
   1-13  of the senate during all or part of six regular sessions of the
   1-14  legislature.  This subsection does not prohibit a person who has
   1-15  served as a member of the senate during all or part of five regular
   1-16  sessions of the legislature from being elected to or serving a
   1-17  four-year term in the senate even though at the end of that term
   1-18  the person will have served during all or part of more than six
   1-19  regular sessions.
   1-20        (c)  Legislative service before the legislature convenes in
   1-21  regular session in 1995 is not counted in determining whether a
   1-22  person is disqualified from election to office under this section.
   1-23        SECTION 2.  Article IV of the Texas Constitution is amended
   1-24  by adding Section 2a to read as follows:
    2-1        Sec. 2a.  (a)  A person is not eligible to a full or partial
    2-2  term in an elective office listed in Section 1 of this article or
    2-3  in any other state office, other than a judicial office, elected by
    2-4  the voters at a statewide election, if on the date the term begins
    2-5  the person has served in that office during any part of each of 12
    2-6  or more calendar years.
    2-7        (b)  For purposes of this section, service in more than one
    2-8  elective position on the governing board of a state agency is
    2-9  considered service in the same office.  This subsection does not
   2-10  apply to ex officio service on a governing board.
   2-11        (c)  Nothing in this section prohibits a person from
   2-12  continuing to serve in an office covered by this section after the
   2-13  end of a term as a holdover under Article XVI, Section 17, of this
   2-14  constitution until a successor is qualified.
   2-15        (d)  For purposes of this section, a calendar year begins
   2-16  January 1 and ends December 31.
   2-17        (e)  Service in office before January 1, 1995, does not count
   2-18  for purposes of determining whether a person is disqualified from
   2-19  office under this section.
   2-20        SECTION 3.  This proposed constitutional amendment shall be
   2-21  submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 2, 1993.
   2-22  The ballot shall be printed to provide for voting for or against
   2-23  the following proposition:  "The constitutional amendment to limit
   2-24  the time that a person may serve as a member of the Texas
   2-25  Legislature or as an elected state officer in the executive
   2-26  branch."