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A JOINT RESOLUTION
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proposing a constitutional amendment requiring the payment of |
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reparations to the next of kin of certain victims of the state's |
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convict leasing system. |
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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Article I, Texas Constitution, is amended by |
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adding Section 30a to read as follows: |
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Sec. 30a. (a) In this section, "commission" means the Texas |
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Historical Commission or its successor in function. |
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(b) The commission, in consultation with any agency of the |
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state that the commission determines is necessary, shall identify |
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the next of kin, if any, of each of the 95 convict leasing victims |
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whose remains were discovered in 2018 at the site of the former |
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Imperial State Prison Farm in Sugar Land. The next of kin described |
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by this subsection are entitled to reparations to compensate for |
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the harm caused by the state's convict leasing system. |
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(c) The commission shall determine the amount of |
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reparations to which the next of kin described by Subsection (a) of |
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this section are entitled. |
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(d) The commission shall adopt a schedule of reparations |
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payments for the next of kin described by Subsection (a) of this |
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section. Each next of kin is entitled to an equal dollar amount of |
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the reparations. |
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(e) Reparations are payable from funds appropriated for |
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that purpose. Payment shall be made in the manner provided by law |
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under the general supervision of the commission. |
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SECTION 2. The following temporary provision is added to |
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the Texas Constitution: |
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TEMPORARY PROVISION. This temporary provision applies to the |
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constitutional amendment proposed by the 86th Legislature, Regular |
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Session, 2019, that requires the Texas Historical Commission to |
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make payments of reparations to the next of kin of certain victims |
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of the state's convict leasing system. On the date the commission |
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completes reparations payments to the next of kin: |
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(1) this temporary provision expires; and |
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(2) Section 30a, Article I, of this constitution |
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expires. |
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SECTION 3. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be |
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submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 5, 2019. |
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The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the |
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proposition: "The constitutional amendment requiring the payment |
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of reparations to the next of kin of certain victims of the state's |
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convict leasing system." |