HBA-RBT H.J.R. 52 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.J.R. 52 By: Palmer Judicial Affairs 3/2/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, a person who murders another person is not legally precluded from inheriting from the decedent's estate or holdings. While the law prevents payments of insurance benefits to the person convicted of murdering the insured party, there is no provision for outlawing the inheritance of a private estate or holdings by the person that killed the victim. As proposed, H.J.R. 52 requires the submission to the voters of a constitutional amendment which prohibits murderers from inheriting from their victims. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 21, Article I, Texas Constitution, to authorize the legislature to provide by law for the forfeiture of a right to or interest in a decedent's estate on conviction of a devisee, legatee, heir, or donee for the murder or capital murder of the decedent. Makes a conforming change. SECTION 2. Requires this proposed constitutional amendment to be submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 2, 1999. Requires the ballot to be printed to permit voting for or against the proposition and sets forth the required language for the ballot.