By Dutton                                             H.J.R. No. 63
       74R4939 CAG-D
                                  A JOINT RESOLUTION
    1-1  proposing a constitutional amendment to abolish the office of
    1-2  sheriff in Harris County.
    1-3        BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Section 23, Article V, of the Texas Constitution
    1-5  is amended to read as follows:
    1-6        Sec. 23.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this
    1-7  section, there <There> shall be elected by the qualified voters of
    1-8  each county a Sheriff, who shall hold his office for the term of
    1-9  four years, whose duties, qualifications, perquisites, and fees of
   1-10  office, shall be prescribed by the Legislature, and vacancies in
   1-11  whose office shall be filled by the Commissioners Court until the
   1-12  next general election.
   1-13        (b)  The office of Sheriff in Harris County is abolished.
   1-14  The functions of the office are transferred to the police
   1-15  department of the municipality with the largest population in the
   1-16  county.  However, the office of Sheriff is abolished under this
   1-17  subsection only if, at the statewide election at which the
   1-18  constitutional amendment providing for the abolition of the office
   1-19  in that county is submitted to the voters, a majority of the voters
   1-20  of that county voting on the question at that election favor the
   1-21  amendment.
   1-22        SECTION 2.  The following temporary provision is added to the
   1-23  Texas Constitution:
   1-24        TEMPORARY PROVISION.  The abolition of the office of sheriff
    2-1  in Harris County under the constitutional amendment proposed by the
    2-2  74th Legislature, Regular Session, 1995, providing for the
    2-3  abolition of the office in that county takes effect January 1,
    2-4  1997, if the conditions of Subsection (b), Section 23, Article V,
    2-5  as added by that constitutional amendment, are met.  This provision
    2-6  expires January 2, 1997.
    2-7        SECTION 3.  This proposed constitutional amendment shall be
    2-8  submitted to the voters at an election to be held on November 7,
    2-9  1995.  The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against
   2-10  the proposition:  "The constitutional amendment providing for the
   2-11  abolition of the office of sheriff in Harris County."