By:  Fraser                                           S.J.R. No. 32

         97S0297/1                           

                               SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

 1-1     proposing a constitutional amendment to abolish the offices of

 1-2     Justice of the Peace for Precincts 3 and 4 in Brown County.

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

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 18, Article V, Texas Constitution, is

 1-5     amended by adding Subsection (g) to read as follows:

 1-6           (g)  Notwithstanding the population requirements of

 1-7     Subsection (a), the offices of Justice of the Peace for Precincts 3

 1-8     and 4 in Brown County are abolished.  The functions of the Justice

 1-9     of the Peace Courts for Precincts 3 and 4 are transferred and

1-10     equally distributed to the Justice of the Peace Courts for

1-11     Precincts 1 and 2 in Brown County.  However, the offices of Justice

1-12     of the Peace for Precincts 3 and 4 in Brown County are abolished

1-13     under this subsection only if, at the statewide election at which

1-14     the constitutional amendment providing for their abolition is

1-15     submitted to the voters, a majority of the voters of Brown County

1-16     voting on the question at that election favor the amendment.

1-17           SECTION 2.  The following temporary provision is added to the

1-18     Texas Constitution:

1-19           TEMPORARY PROVISION.  The abolition of the offices of Justice

1-20     of the Peace for Precincts 3 and 4 in Brown County under the

1-21     constitutional amendment proposed by the 75th Legislature, Regular

1-22     Session, 1997, providing for the abolition of those offices, takes

1-23     effect January 1, 1998, if the conditions of Subsection (g),

 2-1     Section 18, Article V, as added by that constitutional amendment,

 2-2     are met.  This temporary provision expires January 2, 1998.

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

 2-4     submitted to the voters at an election to be held on November 4,

 2-5     1997.  The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against

 2-6     the proposition:  "The constitutional amendment authorizing the

 2-7     abolition of the offices of Justice of the Peace for Precincts 3

 2-8     and 4 in Brown County."