By Shields                                            H.J.R. No. 85
       74R621 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.
    1-3        BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Article III of the Texas Constitution is amended
    1-5  by adding Section 7a to read as follows:
    1-6        Sec. 7a.  (a)  A person is not eligible to be elected to the
    1-7  house of representatives if, before the date of the election, the
    1-8  person has served as a member of the house during all or part of
    1-9  six or more regular sessions of the legislature.
   1-10        (b)  A person is not eligible to be elected to the senate if,
   1-11  before the date of the election, the person has served as a member
   1-12  of the senate during all or part of six or more regular sessions of
   1-13  the legislature.
   1-14        (c)  Legislative service before the legislature convenes in
   1-15  regular session in 1997 is not counted in determining whether a
   1-16  person is disqualified from election to office under this section.
   1-17        SECTION 2.  Article III, Section 3, of the Texas Constitution
   1-18  is amended to read as follows:
   1-19        Sec. 3.  (a)  The Senators shall be chosen by the qualified
   1-20  electors for the term of four years; but a new Senate shall be
   1-21  chosen after every apportionment, and the Senators elected after
   1-22  each apportionment shall be divided <by lot> into two classes.
   1-23        (b)  Each Senator who has served as a member of the Senate
   1-24  during all or part  of five previous Regular Sessions of the
    2-1  Legislature is included in the first class.  Each Senator who has
    2-2  served as a member of the Senate during all or part of exactly four
    2-3  previous Regular Sessions of the Legislature is included in the
    2-4  second class.  The other Senators shall be included in the first
    2-5  class or second class so that the number of Senators in each class
    2-6  is as equal as possible.  If the other Senators must be divided
    2-7  between the first class and the second class for that purpose, the
    2-8  division shall be made by lot.
    2-9        (c)  The seats of the Senators of the first class shall be
   2-10  vacated at the expiration of the first two years, and those of the
   2-11  second class at the expiration of four years<, so that one half of
   2-12  the Senators shall be chosen biennially thereafter>.
   2-13        (d)  Senators shall take office following their election, on
   2-14  the day set by law for the convening of the Regular Session of the
   2-15  Legislature, and shall serve thereafter for the full term of years
   2-16  to which elected and until their successors shall have been elected
   2-17  and qualified.
   2-18        (e)  Service in the Senate during a Regular Session of the
   2-19  Legislature before January 1, 1997, is not counted in determining
   2-20  whether a member of the Senate is included in the first class or
   2-21  second class after an apportionment under Subsection (b) of this
   2-22  section.
   2-23        SECTION 3.  This proposed constitutional amendment shall be
   2-24  submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 7, 1995.
   2-25  The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the
   2-26  following proposition:  "The constitutional amendment to limit the
   2-27  time that a person may serve as a member of the Texas House of
    3-1  Representatives or Texas Senate."