By Goolsby                                            H.J.R. No. 13

      75R1404 JSA-D                           

                                 A JOINT RESOLUTION

 1-1     proposing a constitutional amendment to provide a salary for the

 1-2     lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house.

 1-3           BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 24, Article III, Texas Constitution, is

 1-5     amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to

 1-6     read as follows:

 1-7           (a)  Members of the Legislature, other than the Speaker of

 1-8     the House of Representatives, shall receive from the Public

 1-9     Treasury a salary of Six Hundred Dollars ($600) per month, unless a

1-10     greater amount is recommended by the Texas Ethics Commission and

1-11     approved by the voters of this State in which case the salary is

1-12     that amount.  The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall

1-13     receive from the Public Treasury an annual salary of $75,000, paid

1-14     in equal monthly amounts.  Each member, including the Speaker,

1-15     shall also receive a per diem set by the Texas Ethics Commission

1-16     for each day during each Regular and Special Session of the

1-17     Legislature.

1-18           (a-1)  The individual serving as Speaker of the House of

1-19     Representatives on January 1, 1997, shall receive compensation for

1-20     that office according to the law in effect on January 1, 1997, and

1-21     is not entitled to the compensation for that office provided by

1-22     this section as amended after January 1, 1997, as long as that

1-23     individual serves as Speaker of the House.  This subsection expires

1-24     January 1, 2007.

 2-1           SECTION 2.  Subsection (e), Section 24a, Article III, Texas

 2-2     Constitution, is amended to read as follows:

 2-3           (e)  The commission may recommend the salary of the members

 2-4     of the legislature other than [and may recommend that the salary

 2-5     of] the speaker of the house of representatives [and the lieutenant

 2-6     governor be set at an amount higher than that of other members].

 2-7     The commission shall set the per diem of members of the

 2-8     legislature, including the speaker of the house, and of the

 2-9     lieutenant governor, and the per diem shall reflect reasonable

2-10     estimates of costs and may be raised or lowered biennially as

2-11     necessary to pay those costs, but the per diem may not exceed

2-12     during a calendar year the amount allowed as of January 1 of that

2-13     year for federal income tax purposes as a deduction for living

2-14     expenses incurred in a legislative day by a state legislator in

2-15     connection with the legislator's business as a legislator,

2-16     disregarding any exception in federal law for legislators residing

2-17     near the Capitol.

2-18           SECTION 3.  Section 17, Article IV, Texas Constitution, is

2-19     amended by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (b-1) to

2-20     read as follows:

2-21           (b)  The Lieutenant Governor shall[, while he acts as

2-22     President of the Senate,] receive for his services an annual salary

2-23     of $75,000, paid in equal monthly amounts. The Lieutenant Governor

2-24     is also entitled to receive the same per diem [the same

2-25     compensation] and mileage which shall be allowed to the members of

2-26     the Senate[, and no more unless the Texas Ethics Commission

2-27     recommends and the voters approve a higher salary in which case the

 3-1     salary is that amount;  and during the time he administers the

 3-2     Government, as Governor, he shall receive in like manner the same

 3-3     compensation which the Governor would have received had he been

 3-4     employed in the duties of his office, and no more].  An increase in

 3-5     the emoluments of the office of Lieutenant Governor does not make a

 3-6     member of the Legislature ineligible to serve in the office of

 3-7     Lieutenant Governor.

 3-8           (b-1)  The individual serving as Lieutenant Governor on

 3-9     January 1, 1997, shall receive compensation for that office

3-10     according to the law in effect on January 1, 1997, and is not

3-11     entitled to the compensation for that office provided by this

3-12     section as amended after January 1, 1997, as long as that

3-13     individual serves as Lieutenant Governor.  This subsection expires

3-14     January 1, 2007.

3-15           SECTION 4.  This proposed constitutional amendment shall be

3-16     submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 4, 1997.

3-17     The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the

3-18     proposition: "The constitutional amendment to provide an annual

3-19     salary of $75,000 for the lieutenant governor and speaker of the

3-20     house of representatives in place of the legislative salary

3-21     currently provided for those offices."