By Rabuck H.J.R. No. 27
75R2134 JSA-D
A JOINT RESOLUTION
1-1 proposing a constitutional amendment relating to the length of the
1-2 term of office of a member of the house of representatives and
1-3 imposing term limits on members of the legislature.
1-4 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 4, Article III, Texas Constitution, is
1-6 amended to read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 4. (a) The Members of the House of Representatives
1-8 shall be chosen by the qualified electors for the term of four
1-9 years. A new House of Representatives shall be chosen after every
1-10 apportionment that changes the population of any district according
1-11 to the most recent federal decennial census by one percent or more,
1-12 and the Members elected after each such apportionment shall be
1-13 divided by lot into two classes. The Members of the first class
1-14 shall vacate their seats two years after the date on which their
1-15 term of office begins, and the Members of the second class shall
1-16 vacate their seats four years after the date on which their term of
1-17 office begins, so that half of the Members will be elected
1-18 biennially [two years].
1-19 (b) Representatives shall take office following their
1-20 election, on the day set by law for the convening of the Regular
1-21 Session of the Legislature, and shall serve thereafter for the full
1-22 term of years to which elected and until their successors shall
1-23 have been elected and qualified.
1-24 (c) Members of the House of Representatives shall be elected
2-1 to terms as provided by Subsection (a) of this section beginning
2-2 with the election of Members of the 76th Legislature, to convene in
2-3 1999. Members of the House elected to the 76th Legislature shall
2-4 draw lots for two-year and four-year terms as if elected after a
2-5 reapportionment. Members of the House of Representatives of the
2-6 75th Legislature serve two-year terms as provided by the law in
2-7 effect when those Members were elected. This subsection expires
2-8 January 1, 2005.
2-9 SECTION 2. Article III, Texas Constitution, is amended by
2-10 adding Section 7a to read as follows:
2-11 Sec. 7a. (a) A person is not eligible to be elected to the
2-12 house of representatives if the person served as a member of the
2-13 house during all or part of the six regular sessions of the
2-14 legislature immediately preceding the date of the election.
2-15 (b) A person is not eligible to be elected to the senate if
2-16 the person served as a member of the senate during all or part of
2-17 the six regular sessions of the legislature immediately preceding
2-18 the date of the election.
2-19 (c) For an election that occurs during a regular session of
2-20 the legislature, that session is not considered as a preceding
2-21 regular session for purposes of determining a person's eligibility
2-22 under this section to be elected at that election.
2-23 (d) Legislative service before the legislature convenes in
2-24 regular session in 1999 is not counted in determining whether a
2-25 person is disqualified from election to office under this section.
2-26 SECTION 3. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be
2-27 submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 4, 1997.
3-1 The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the
3-2 following proposition: "The constitutional amendment to impose
3-3 term limits on members of the Texas Legislature and to provide for
3-4 four-year terms for members of the Texas House of Representatives."