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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to authorization for a statewide referendum allowing |
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voters to indicate a preference for whether an additional |
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restriction on abortion access should be repealed. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. STATEWIDE REFERENDUM. On enactment by the 89th |
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Legislature, Regular Session, 2025, of legislation imposing any |
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additional restriction on access to abortion in this state, at the |
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general election to be held November 4, 2025, the voters shall be |
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permitted to vote in a statewide referendum to express their |
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opinion on whether the legislature should repeal the additional |
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abortion restriction. |
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SECTION 2. BALLOT PROPOSITION. The ballot for the |
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referendum shall be printed to provide for voting for or against the |
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proposition: "The legislature should repeal each additional |
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restriction on access to abortion enacted by the 89th Legislature, |
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Regular Session, 2025." |
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SECTION 3. FORM OF BALLOT. The referendum proposition |
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shall be printed on the ballot beneath any proposed constitutional |
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amendments under the heading: "Referendum Proposition." Beneath |
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the heading shall be printed the following: "This referendum is an |
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expression of public opinion only and has no binding effect as law." |
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SECTION 4. ELECTION PROCEDURE. (a) Notice of the election |
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shall be given by inclusion of the proposition in the governor's |
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proclamation ordering the election on any proposed amendment to the |
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state constitution and in each county judge's notice of that |
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election. If a proposed amendment to the state constitution is not |
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to be voted on in conjunction with the statewide referendum, notice |
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of the referendum election shall be given and the election held in |
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the manner applicable to a constitutional amendment election. |
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(b) Returns of the votes cast on the proposition shall be |
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made and canvassed in the same manner as the returns on a proposed |
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constitutional amendment. |
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(c) Immediately after the governor certifies the results of |
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the election, the secretary of state shall transmit a copy of the |
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certification to the speaker of the house of representatives and |
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the lieutenant governor. |
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SECTION 5. STATEMENT OF LEGISLATIVE INTENT. It is the |
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legislature's strong intention that, though the legislature has |
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rarely conducted a referendum on matters of statewide importance, |
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given the importance of this particular issue in this state, the |
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will of the people should be considered. |
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SECTION 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect |
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immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members |
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elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas |
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Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for |
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immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |