By Shields                                     H.J.R. No. 105

      75R5939 JRD-D                           

                                 A JOINT RESOLUTION

 1-1     proposing a constitutional amendment providing that the legislature

 1-2     may create a commission to recommend abolishing or reducing the

 1-3     size of state agencies and require future legislatures to accept or

 1-4     reject, but not amend, the commission's recommendations.

 1-5           BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-6           SECTION 1.  Article III, Texas Constitution, is amended by

 1-7     adding Section 31a to read as follows:

 1-8           Sec. 31a.  The legislature by general law may:

 1-9                 (1)  create a commission to study state agencies and

1-10     institutions in the executive department of state government and

1-11     recommend that certain of those agencies or institutions be

1-12     abolished or reduced to a specified size; and

1-13                 (2)  notwithstanding Section 11 or 31 of this article,

1-14     require future legislatures to accept or reject, but not amend, a

1-15     list of substantive recommendations presented to the legislature by

1-16     the commission.

1-17           SECTION 2.  This proposed constitutional amendment shall be

1-18     submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 4, 1997.

1-19     The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the

1-20     proposition:  "The constitutional amendment providing that the

1-21     legislature may create a commission to recommend abolishing or

1-22     reducing the size of state agencies and require future legislatures

1-23     to accept or reject but not amend the commission's

1-24     recommendations."