A JOINT RESOLUTION

 1-1     proposing a constitutional amendment relating to eliminating

 1-2     duplicate numbering in and certain obsolete provisions of the Texas

 1-3     Constitution.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 48-e, Article III, Texas Constitution, as

 1-6     proposed by H.J.R. No. 18, 70th Legislature, Regular Session, 1987,

 1-7     is redesignated as Section 48-f to read as follows:

 1-8           Sec. 48-f [48-e].  The legislature, by law, may provide for

 1-9     the creation, operation, and financing of jail districts and may

1-10     authorize each district to issue bonds and other obligations and to

1-11     levy an ad valorem tax on property located in the district to pay

1-12     principal of and interest on the bonds and to pay for operation of

1-13     the district.  An ad valorem tax may not be levied and bonds

1-14     secured by a property tax may not be issued until approved by the

1-15     qualified electors of the district voting at an election called and

1-16     held for that purpose.

1-17           SECTION 2.  Section 52e, Article III, Texas Constitution, as

1-18     proposed by S.J.R. No. 37, 60th Legislature, Regular Session, 1967,

1-19     is redesignated as Section 52g and amended to read as follows:

1-20           Sec. 52g [52e].  Bonds to be issued by Dallas County under

1-21     Section 52 of Article III of this Constitution for the

1-22     construction, maintenance and operation of macadamized, graveled or

1-23     paved roads and turnpikes, or in aid thereof, may, without the

1-24     necessity of further or amendatory legislation, be issued upon a

 2-1     vote of a majority of the residents [resident property taxpayers]

 2-2     voting thereon who are qualified electors of said county, and bonds

 2-3     heretofore or hereafter issued under Subsections (a)  and (b) of

 2-4     said Section 52 shall not be included in determining the debt limit

 2-5     prescribed in said Section.

 2-6           SECTION 3.  Section 61, Article III, Texas Constitution, as

 2-7     proposed by S.J.R. No. 5, 53rd Legislature, Regular Session, 1953,

 2-8     is redesignated as Section 61-a to read as follows:

 2-9           Sec. 61-a [61].  The Legislature shall not fix the salary of

2-10     the Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller of Public Accounts,

2-11     Commissioner of the General Land Office or Secretary of State at a

2-12     sum less than that fixed for such officials in the Constitution on

2-13     January 1, 1953.

2-14           SECTION 4.  Section 1, Article VI, Texas Constitution, is

2-15     amended to read as follows:

2-16           Sec. 1.  The following classes of persons shall not be

2-17     allowed to vote in this State, to wit:

2-18           First:  Persons under 18 [twenty-one (21)] years of age.

2-19           Second:  All persons who have been determined mentally

2-20     incompetent by a court, subject to such exceptions as the

2-21     Legislature may make.  [Idiots and lunatics.]

2-22           Third:  [All paupers supported by any county.]

2-23           [Fourth:]  All persons convicted of any felony, subject to

2-24     such exceptions as the Legislature may make.

2-25           SECTION 5.  Section 2, Article VI, Texas Constitution, is

2-26     amended to read as follows:

2-27           Sec. 2.  Every person subject to none of the foregoing

 3-1     disqualifications who shall have attained the age of 18 [twenty-one

 3-2     (21)] years and who shall be a citizen of the United States and who

 3-3     is a resident of [shall have resided in] this State [one (1) year

 3-4     next preceding an election and the last six (6) months within the

 3-5     district or county in which such person offers to vote,] shall be

 3-6     deemed a qualified elector;  provided, however, that before

 3-7     offering to vote at an election a voter shall have registered

 3-8     [annually], but such requirement for registration shall not be

 3-9     considered a qualification of an elector within the meaning of the

3-10     term "qualified elector" as used in any other Article of this

3-11     Constitution in respect to any matter except qualification and

3-12     eligibility to vote at an election.  [Any legislation enacted in

3-13     anticipation of the adoption of this Amendment shall not be invalid

3-14     because of its anticipatory nature.]  The Legislature may authorize

3-15     absentee voting.  [And this provision of the Constitution shall be

3-16     self-enacting without the necessity of further legislation.]

3-17           SECTION 6.  Section 3, Article VI, Texas Constitution, is

3-18     amended to read as follows:

3-19           Sec. 3.  All qualified electors of the State, as herein

3-20     described, who reside [shall have resided for six months

3-21     immediately preceding an election,] within the limits of any city

3-22     or corporate town, shall have the right to vote for Mayor and all

3-23     other elective officers[;  but in all elections to determine

3-24     expenditure of money or assumption of debt, only those shall be

3-25     qualified to vote who pay taxes on property in said city or

3-26     incorporated town;  provided, that no poll tax for the payment of

3-27     debts thus incurred, shall be levied upon the persons debarred from

 4-1     voting in relation thereto].

 4-2           SECTION 7.  Section 16, Article VII, Texas Constitution, as

 4-3     proposed by H.J.R. No. 14, 40th Legislature, Regular Session, 1927,

 4-4     is redesignated as Section 16-a to read as follows:

 4-5           Sec. 16-a [16].   The Legislature shall fix by law the terms

 4-6     of all offices of the public school system and of the State

 4-7     institutions of higher education, inclusive, and the terms of

 4-8     members of the respective boards, not to exceed six years.

 4-9           SECTION 8.  The following constitutional provisions are

4-10     repealed:

4-11                 (1)  the constitutional amendment proposed by S.J.R.

4-12     No.  5, 49th Legislature, Regular Session, 1945, relating to an

4-13     appropriation to John Tarleton Agricultural College;

4-14                 (2)  Section 49-g, Article III, Texas Constitution, as

4-15     proposed by H.J.R. No. 88, 70th Legislature, Regular Session, 1987;

4-16     and

4-17                 (3)  Section 44(h), Article XVI, Texas Constitution, as

4-18     proposed by H.J.R.  No. 21, 73rd Legislature, Regular Session,

4-19     1993.

4-20           SECTION 9.  This proposed constitutional amendment shall be

4-21     submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 4, 1997.

4-22     The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the

4-23     proposition:  "The constitutional amendment eliminating duplicate

4-24     numbering in and certain obsolete provisions of the Texas

4-25     Constitution."

         _______________________________     _______________________________

             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House

               I certify that H.J.R. No. 104 was passed by the House on May

         14, 1997, by the following vote:  Yeas 126, Nays 0, 1 present, not

         voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to

         H.J.R. No. 104 on May 30, 1997, by the following vote:  Yeas 137,

         Nays 0, 1 present, not voting.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Chief Clerk of the House

               I certify that H.J.R. No. 104 was passed by the Senate, with

         amendments, on May 28, 1997, by the following vote:  Yeas 26, Nays

         0.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Secretary of the Senate

         RECEIVED:  _____________________

                            Date

                    _____________________

                      Secretary of State