By Chisum H.J.R. No. 119
A JOINT RESOLUTION
1-1 proposing a constitutional amendment to limit the number of times a
1-2 person may be elected to the Congress of the United States from the
1-3 State of Texas.
1-4 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Article XVI of the Texas Constitution is amended
1-6 by adding Section 71 to read as follows:
1-7 Section 1. LIMITATION OF BALLOT ACCESS BY FEDERAL
1-8 LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATES. Section 71 is hereby added to the Texas
1-9 Constitution to read as follows:
1-10 SECTION 1: FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATES; BALLOT ACCESS.
1-11 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of State,
1-12 or other election official authorized by law, shall not accept or
1-13 verify the signatures on any nomination paper for any person, nor
1-14 shall he or she certify or place on the list of certified
1-15 candidates, nor print or cause to be printed on any ballot,
1-16 pamphlet, sample ballot, or ballot label for a period of 4 years
1-17 the name of any person, who either:
1-18 (a) Seeks to become a candidate for a seat in the United
1-19 States House of representatives, and who, by the end of the then
1-20 current term of office will have served 3 consecutive 2 year terms
1-21 as a member of the United States House of Representatives
1-22 representing any portion or district of the State of Texas; or
1-23 (b) Seeks to become a candidate for a seat in the United
2-1 States Senate, and who, by the end of the then current term of
2-2 office will have served 2 consecutive six year terms representing
2-3 the State of Texas.
2-4 SECTION 2. "TRIGGER MECHANISM". No candidate will be
2-5 restricted from the ballot under the provisions of this act until
2-6 some form of term limitation has been enacted on the congressional
2-7 delegation of at least twenty-five other states. Congressional
2-8 term limitation enacted in other states having similar trigger
2-9 mechanisms shall be counted toward the twenty-five state
2-10 requirement for the purpose of this Section Three.
2-11 SECTION 3. "WRITE-IN" CANDIDACIES. Nothing in this article
2-12 shall be construed as preventing or prohibiting the name of any
2-13 qualified voter of this state from casting a ballot for any person
2-14 by writing the name of that person on the ballot, or from having
2-15 such a ballot counted or tabulated, nor shall any provision of this
2-16 article be construed as preventing or prohibiting any person from
2-17 standing or campaigning for any elective office by means of a
2-18 "write-in" campaign.
2-19 SECTION 4. CONSTRUCTION. Nothing in this article shall be
2-20 construed as preventing or prohibiting the name of any person from
2-21 appearing on the ballot at any direct primary of general election
2-22 unless that person is specifically prohibited from doing so by the
2-23 provisions of Section 2 of this article, and to that end, the
2-24 provision of Section 2 shall be strictly construed.
2-25 SECTION 5. INSTRUCTION. The members of the United States
3-1 House of Representatives and United States Senate representing any
3-2 district or portion of Texas are instructed to use their best
3-3 efforts to attain such a limitation on terms nationwide by
3-4 amendment to the United States Constitution.
3-5 SECTION 6. ELECTION. This proposed constitutional amendment
3-6 shall be submitted to the voters at an election to be held November
3-7 8, 1994. The ballot shall be printed to provide for voting for or
3-8 against the proposition: "The constitutional amendment to limit
3-9 the number of times a person shall be elected to the Congress of
3-10 the United States."
3-11 SECTION 7. APPLICATION. This act shall take effect and be
3-12 applicable to federal legislative candidates whose terms of office
3-13 begin on or after January 1, 1995. Services prior to January 1,
3-14 1995 shall not be counted for the purpose of this act.