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A JOINT RESOLUTION
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proposing a constitutional amendment requiring the lieutenant |
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governor and speaker of the house of representatives to call the |
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legislature into special session on petition of at least two-thirds |
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of the members of each house of the legislature in response to a |
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fiscal crisis, war, natural disaster, or emergency. |
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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Article III, Texas Constitution, is amended by |
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adding Section 5A to read as follows: |
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Sec. 5A. The lieutenant governor and speaker of the house of |
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representatives shall by joint proclamation convene the |
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legislature in special session on receipt of a petition that is |
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signed by at least two-thirds of the members of each house of the |
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legislature requesting the special session for the purpose of |
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responding to a fiscal crisis, war, natural disaster, or emergency. |
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The proclamation must provide for convening the legislature not |
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later than the 60th day after the date the lieutenant governor and |
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speaker of the house of representatives receive the petition. |
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SECTION 2. Section 40, Article III, Texas Constitution, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 40. (a) When the legislature is [Legislature shall be] |
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convened in a special session called by the governor as authorized |
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by Section 8, Article IV, of this constitution, the legislature may |
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not consider [there shall be no] legislation on a subject [upon |
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subjects] other than a subject [those] designated in the |
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proclamation of the governor [Governor] calling the [such] session, |
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or presented to the legislature [them] by the governor. |
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(b) When the legislature is convened in a special session |
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required by Section 5A of this article, the legislature may not |
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consider legislation on a subject other than a subject directly |
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related to the state's response to the fiscal crisis, war, natural |
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disaster, or emergency for which the special session is convened. |
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(c) No special [Governor; and no such] session shall be of |
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longer duration than thirty days. |
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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 2, 2021. |
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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 |
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lieutenant governor and speaker of the house of representatives to |
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call the legislature into special session on petition of at least |
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two-thirds of the members of each house of the legislature in |
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response to a fiscal crisis, war, natural disaster, or emergency." |