1-1 By: Brown, Lucio S.B. No. 670 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed February 24, 1999; February 25, 1999, 1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs; 1-4 May 13, 1999, reported favorably, as amended, by the following 1-5 vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 13, 1999, sent to printer.) 1-6 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1 By: Brown 1-7 Amend S.B. No. 670 in SECTION 1 of the bill by striking proposed 1-8 Section 327.001(d), Government Code (Introduced Version, page 2, 1-9 lines 9-10), and substituting the following: 1-10 (d) The presiding officer and assistant presiding officer of 1-11 the commission shall be designated as provided by this subsection. 1-12 The term of an officer designated under this subsection expires on 1-13 the convening of the next regular session of the legislature after 1-14 the designation. The lieutenant governor shall designate the 1-15 presiding officer for the initial term of that office, and the 1-16 speaker of the house of representatives shall designate the 1-17 assistant presiding officer to the initial term of that office. 1-18 For each subsequent term, the designation of the presiding officer 1-19 and assistant presiding officer alternates between the lieutenant 1-20 governor and the speaker of the house. An officer designated by 1-21 the lieutenant governor must be a member of the commission 1-22 appointed by the lieutenant governor, and an officer designated by 1-23 the speaker of the house must be a member of the commission 1-24 appointed by the speaker of the house. 1-25 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 2 By: Brown 1-26 Amend S.B. No. 670 in SECTION 1 of the bill, in added Section 1-27 327.003(b), Government Code (Introduced Version, page 2, lines 1-28 35-38), by striking added Subdivisions (2) and (3) and substituting 1-29 the following: 1-30 "(2) during the period preceding the commission's report in 1-31 2003, Articles II, III, IV, V, IX, X, XIV, and XV; and 1-32 (3) during the period preceding the commission's report in 1-33 2005, Articles VII, VIII, XI, and XII." 1-34 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 3 By: Bernsen 1-35 Amend S.B. No. 670, adding an appropriately numbered SECTION 1-36 to read as follows: 1-37 "SECTION ___. This Act takes effect only if a specific 1-38 appropriation for the implementation of this Act is provided in 1-39 H.B. No. 1 (General Appropriations Act), Acts of the 76th 1-40 Legislature, Regular Session, 1999. If no specific appropriation 1-41 is provided in H.B. No. 1, the General Appropriations Act, this Act 1-42 has no effect." 1-43 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-44 AN ACT 1-45 relating to establishing a commission to study and make 1-46 recommendations for revision of the Texas Constitution. 1-47 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-48 SECTION 1. Subtitle C, Title 3, Government Code, is amended 1-49 by adding Chapter 327 to read as follows: 1-50 CHAPTER 327. COMMISSION ON CONSTITUTIONAL REVISION 1-51 Sec. 327.001. MEMBERSHIP; ORGANIZATION. (a) The Commission 1-52 on Constitutional Revision is an agency of the legislative branch 1-53 of state government. 1-54 (b) The commission consists of: 1-55 (1) four members of the senate appointed by the 1-56 lieutenant governor; 1-57 (2) four members of the house of representatives 1-58 appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; 1-59 (3) one public member appointed by the lieutenant 2-1 governor; and 2-2 (4) one public member appointed by the speaker of the 2-3 house of representatives. 2-4 (c) Each member of the commission serves a term beginning on 2-5 the date of the member's appointment and ending with the convening 2-6 of the next regular session of the legislature that occurs after 2-7 the date of appointment. A vacancy on the commission is filled by 2-8 the officer who appointed the member who vacated the position. 2-9 (d) The commission shall elect from its members a presiding 2-10 officer and other officers the commission considers necessary. 2-11 (e) Members of the commission are entitled to reimbursement 2-12 for necessary expenses incurred in performing commission duties, 2-13 subject to any limit provided by the General Appropriations Act. 2-14 Sec. 327.002. PERSONNEL; ASSISTANCE OF OTHER AGENCIES. 2-15 (a) The commission may employ a staff to assist the commission in 2-16 the performance of its duties. 2-17 (b) The Texas Legislative Council shall assist the 2-18 commission on request. 2-19 Sec. 327.003. DUTIES: CONSTITUTIONAL REVISION. (a) The 2-20 commission shall conduct a comprehensive study of the Texas 2-21 Constitution and shall recommend revisions to the constitution the 2-22 commission considers appropriate to: 2-23 (1) repeal, eliminate, or revise obsolete or 2-24 ineffective provisions; 2-25 (2) standardize and modernize its organization and 2-26 terminology; 2-27 (3) clarify ambiguous or imprecise provisions; or 2-28 (4) change state law or state policy. 2-29 (b) In performing its study and formulating its 2-30 recommendations, the commission shall consider the matters covered 2-31 by the articles of the current constitution according to the 2-32 following schedule: 2-33 (1) during the period preceding the commission's 2-34 report in 2001, Articles I, VI, XVI, and XVII; 2-35 (2) during the period preceding the commission's 2-36 report in 2003, Articles II, III, IV, V, IX, X, and XV; and 2-37 (3) during the period preceding the commission's 2-38 report in 2005, Articles VII and VIII. 2-39 (c) Subsection (b) does not prohibit the commission from 2-40 considering any matter at any other time or from devising an 2-41 alternate schedule to direct the commission's work. 2-42 Sec. 327.004. REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. (a) Not later 2-43 than December 1 of each even-numbered year, the commission shall 2-44 prepare and deliver to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and 2-45 the speaker of the house of representatives a report of its 2-46 activities and recommendations. The report may include specific 2-47 proposals for amending or revising the constitution, including 2-48 drafts of proposed amendments or revisions, and any explanatory or 2-49 supporting materials. A report may present alternative proposals 2-50 on any matter. 2-51 (b) The commission may make any additional reports the 2-52 commission considers appropriate. 2-53 (c) A report may include minority recommendations or 2-54 dissenting statements relating to the commission's recommendations. 2-55 Sec. 327.005. EXPIRATION. This chapter expires and the 2-56 commission is abolished September 1, 2005. 2-57 SECTION 2. The lieutenant governor and speaker of the house 2-58 of representatives shall make the initial appointments to the 2-59 Commission on Constitutional Revision established by Chapter 327, 2-60 Government Code, as added by this act, not later than November 1, 2-61 1999. 2-62 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-63 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-64 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-65 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-66 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-67 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-68 passage, and it is so enacted. 3-1 * * * * *