By:  Hopson                                                     H.J.R. No. 67 



A JOINT RESOLUTION

proposing a constitutional amendment increasing the homestead 
exemption to forty-five thousand dollars.
	BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                       
	SECTION 1.  Subsection (c), Section 1-b, Article VIII, Texas 
Constitution, is amended to read as follows:
	(c)  Forty-Five [Fifteen] Thousand Dollars ($45,000) 
[($15,000)] of the market value of the residence homestead of a 
married or unmarried adult, including one living alone, is exempt 
from ad valorem taxation for general elementary and secondary 
public school purposes.  The legislature by general law may provide 
that all or part of the exemption does not apply to a district or 
political subdivision that imposes ad valorem taxes for public 
education purposes but is not the principal school district 
providing general elementary and secondary public education 
throughout its territory.  In addition to this exemption, the 
legislature by general law may exempt an amount not to exceed Ten 
Thousand Dollars ($10,000) of the market value of the residence 
homestead of a person who is disabled as defined in Subsection (b) 
of this section and of a person sixty-five (65) years of age or 
older from ad valorem taxation for general elementary and secondary 
public school purposes.  The legislature by general law may base the 
amount of and condition eligibility for the additional exemption 
authorized by this subsection for disabled persons and for persons 
sixty-five (65) years of age or older on economic need.  An eligible 
disabled person who is sixty-five (65) years of age or older may not 
receive both exemptions from a school district but may choose 
either.  An eligible person is entitled to receive both the 
exemption required by this subsection for all residence homesteads 
and any exemption adopted pursuant to Subsection (b) of this 
section, but the legislature shall provide by general law whether 
an eligible disabled or elderly person may receive both the 
additional exemption for the elderly and disabled authorized by 
this subsection and any exemption for the elderly or disabled 
adopted pursuant to Subsection (b) of this section.  Where ad 
valorem tax has previously been pledged for the payment of debt, the 
taxing officers of a school district may continue to levy and 
collect the tax against the value of homesteads exempted under this 
subsection until the debt is discharged if the cessation of the levy 
would impair the obligation of the contract by which the debt was 
created.  The legislature shall provide for formulas to protect 
school districts against all or part of the revenue loss incurred by 
the implementation of Article VIII, Sections 1-b(c), 1-b(d), and 
1-d-1, of this constitution.  The legislature by general law may 
define residence homestead for purposes of this section.
	SECTION 2.  This proposed constitutional amendment shall be 
submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 8, 2005.  
The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the 
proposition:  "The constitutional amendment increasing the 
homestead exemption to forty-five thousand dollars."