By Hunter of Nueces                                   H.J.R. No. 96
       74R1545 JSA-D
                                  A JOINT RESOLUTION
    1-1  proposing a constitutional amendment to limit the number of years
    1-2  that a person may serve in the legislature.
    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 a full term as a
    1-7  member of the legislature if, on the date the term begins, the
    1-8  person has served as a member of the legislature for eight years or
    1-9  longer.  A person is not eligible to fill a vacancy in the
   1-10  legislature if, on the date the vacancy occurs, the person has
   1-11  served as a member of the legislature for eight years or longer.
   1-12        (b)  For purposes of this section, serving a full term as a
   1-13  member of the house of representatives is counted as two years of
   1-14  legislative service, without regard to the date the person takes
   1-15  the oath of office or whether the actual term is a few days more or
   1-16  less than exactly two years.
   1-17        (c)  For purposes of this section, serving a four-year term
   1-18  as a member of the senate is counted as four years of legislative
   1-19  service, without regard to the date the person takes the oath of
   1-20  office or whether the actual term is a few days more or less than
   1-21  exactly four years, and serving a two-year term as a member of the
   1-22  senate is counted as two years of legislative service, without
   1-23  regard to the date the person takes the oath of office or whether
   1-24  the actual term is a few days more or less  than exactly two years.
    2-1        (d)  For purposes of this section, a person elected to a full
    2-2  term as a member of the legislature is considered to have served
    2-3  for the full term if the person serves during all or part of each
    2-4  regular session of the legislature that occurs during the term to
    2-5  which the person is elected, without regard to whether the person
    2-6  actually serves for the full term.
    2-7        (e)  For purposes of this section, for legislative service
    2-8  not covered by Subsection (b), (c), or (d) of this section, 365
    2-9  days of legislative service is considered one year of legislative
   2-10  service.
   2-11        (f)  Service in the legislature during a term that begins
   2-12  before the legislature convenes in regular session in 1997 is not
   2-13  counted in determining whether a person is disqualified from the
   2-14  legislature under this section.
   2-15        SECTION 2.  This proposed constitutional amendment shall be
   2-16  submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 7, 1995.
   2-17  The ballot shall be printed to provide for voting for or against
   2-18  the proposition:  "The constitutional amendment to provide that a
   2-19  person who serves in the legislature for eight years after January
   2-20  1997 may not be elected to the legislature again."