By Howard                                       H.J.R. No. 81

      75R6543 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 or in certain elective

 1-3     executive offices.

 1-4           BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Article III, Texas Constitution, is amended by

 1-6     adding Section 7a to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 7a.  (a)  A person is not eligible to be elected to the

 1-8     house of representatives if, before the date of the election, the

 1-9     person has served as a member of the house during all or part of

1-10     four regular sessions of the legislature.

1-11           (b)  A person is not eligible to be elected to the senate if,

1-12     before the date of the election, the person has served as a member

1-13     of the senate during all or part of four regular sessions of the

1-14     legislature.  This subsection does not prohibit a person who has

1-15     served as a member of the senate during all or part of three

1-16     regular sessions of the legislature from being elected to or

1-17     serving a four-year term in the senate even though at the end of

1-18     that term the person will have served during all or part of more

1-19     than four regular sessions.

1-20           (c)  Legislative service before the legislature convenes in

1-21     regular session in 1999 is not counted in determining whether a

1-22     person is disqualified from election to office under this section.

1-23           SECTION 2.  Article IV, Texas Constitution, is amended by

1-24     adding Section 2a to read as follows:

 2-1           Sec. 2a.  (a)  A person is not eligible to a full or partial

 2-2     term in an elective office listed in Section 1 of this article or

 2-3     in any other state office, other than a judicial office or an

 2-4     office covered by Subsection (b) of this section, elected by the

 2-5     voters at a statewide election, if on the date the term begins the

 2-6     person has served in that office during any part of each of eight

 2-7     or more calendar years.

 2-8           (b)  A person is not eligible to a full or partial term as a

 2-9     member of a state board, commission, or other governing body, each

2-10     member of which is elected by the voters of the entire state at a

2-11     statewide election,  if on the date the term begins the person has

2-12     served as a member of the board, commission, or body during any

2-13     part of each of 12 or more calendar years.  This subsection does

2-14     not apply to a court.

2-15           (c)  Nothing in this section prohibits a person from

2-16     continuing to serve in an office covered by this section after the

2-17     end of a term as a holdover under Section 17, Article XVI, of this

2-18     constitution until a successor is qualified.

2-19           (d)  For purposes of this section, a calendar year begins

2-20     January 1 and ends December 31.

2-21           (e)  Service in office before January 1, 1999, does not count

2-22     for purposes of determining whether a person is disqualified from

2-23     office under this section.

2-24           SECTION 3.  This proposed constitutional amendment shall be

2-25     submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 4, 1997.

2-26     The ballot shall be printed to provide for voting for or against

2-27     the proposition:  "The constitutional amendment to impose term

 3-1     limits on members of the Texas Legislature and on statewide elected

 3-2     officers in the executive branch."