1-1     By:  Gray (Senate Sponsor - Brown)                    H.J.R. No. 74
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 13, 1999;
 1-3     May 14, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on Human
 1-4     Services; May 14, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote:
 1-5     Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 14, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6                           HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
 1-7     proposing a constitutional amendment to provide a four-year term
 1-8     for the commissioner of health and human services and to provide
 1-9     that the term runs concurrently with the term of the governor.
1-10           BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.  Section 30, Article XVI, Texas Constitution, is
1-12     amended by adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:
1-13           (e)  If the legislature establishes an office, known as the
1-14     office of the commissioner of health and human services or known by
1-15     any other title, that is filled by appointment by the governor and
1-16     that is the single governing office of the state agency responsible
1-17     for coordinating the planning and delivery of health and human
1-18     services by the state health and human services agencies, the
1-19     person holding that office has a term of four years running
1-20     concurrently with the term of the governor.  However, the term of
1-21     that officer expires on the date on which the governor who
1-22     appointed that officer ceases to hold office as governor.
1-23           SECTION 2.  The following temporary provision is added to the
1-24     Texas Constitution:
1-25           TEMPORARY PROVISION.  (a)  This temporary provision applies
1-26     to the constitutional amendment proposed by the 76th Legislature,
1-27     Regular Session, 1999, that provides a four-year term for the
1-28     commissioner of health and human services and that provides that
1-29     the term runs concurrently with the term of the governor.
1-30           (b)  The term of the person who holds office as the
1-31     commissioner of health and human services on the effective date of
1-32     that constitutional amendment expires as provided by that
1-33     constitutional amendment.
1-34           (c)  This temporary provision expires February 1, 2003.
1-35           SECTION 3.  This proposed constitutional amendment shall be
1-36     submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 2, 1999.
1-37     The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the
1-38     proposition:  "The constitutional amendment to provide a four-year
1-39     term for the commissioner of health and human services and to
1-40     provide that the term runs concurrently with the term of the
1-41     governor."
1-42                                  * * * * *