By Turner of Coleman                                  H.J.R. No. 18
         77R104 JSA-D                           
                                 A JOINT RESOLUTION
 1-1     proposing a constitutional amendment providing for four-year terms
 1-2     of office for members of the house of representatives.
 1-3           BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1. Section 4, Article III, Texas Constitution, is
 1-5     amended to read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 4. (a)  The members [Members] of the House of
 1-7     Representatives shall be chosen by the qualified voters for the
 1-8     term of four years, but a new House of Representatives shall be
 1-9     chosen after every apportionment, and the members elected after
1-10     each apportionment shall be divided by lot into two classes. The
1-11     members of the first class shall vacate their seats two years after
1-12     the date on which their term of office begins, and the members of
1-13     the second class shall vacate their seats four years after the date
1-14     on which their term of office begins, so that half of the members
1-15     will be elected biennially [two years].
1-16           (b)  Representatives shall take office following their
1-17     election, on the day set by law for the convening of the Regular
1-18     Session of the Legislature, and shall serve thereafter for the full
1-19     term of years to which elected.
1-20           (c)  If a member of the House of Representatives announces
1-21     the member's candidacy or in fact becomes a candidate in any
1-22     general, special, or primary election for the office of state
1-23     Senator at any time before the end of the last Regular Session of
1-24     the Legislature scheduled to be held during the term of office to
 2-1     which the member was elected, the announcement or candidacy
 2-2     constitutes an automatic resignation of the office of
 2-3     Representative, and the resulting vacancy shall be filled in the
 2-4     manner provided by this constitution.  This subsection does not
 2-5     apply to an announcement or candidacy that occurs after the
 2-6     beginning of the period provided by law for a person to file as a
 2-7     candidate in the general or primary election for the next regular
 2-8     term for members of the House of Representatives for which a new
 2-9     House of Representatives is to be elected as required by Subsection
2-10     (a) of this section following an apportionment of the members of
2-11     the House of Representatives.
2-12           (d)  Members of the House of Representatives shall be elected
2-13     to terms as provided by Subsection (a) of this section beginning
2-14     with the election of members of the 78th Legislature, to convene in
2-15     2003.  Members of the House of Representatives elected to the 78th
2-16     Legislature shall draw lots for two-year and four-year terms.
2-17     Members of the House of Representatives of the 77th Legislature
2-18     serve two-year terms as provided by the law in effect when those
2-19     members were elected.  Subsection (c) of this section takes effect
2-20     January 1, 2003.  This subsection expires January 1, 2005.
2-21           SECTION 2.  This proposed constitutional amendment shall be
2-22     submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 6, 2001.
2-23     The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the
2-24     proposition:  "The constitutional amendment to provide for
2-25     four-year terms for members of the Texas House of Representatives."