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A JOINT RESOLUTION
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proposing a constitutional amendment to provide qualifications for |
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and limit the time that a person may serve in certain offices. |
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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 7a to read as follows: |
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Sec. 7a. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (d) of this |
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section, a person is not eligible to be elected to the house of |
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representatives if at the time of election the person has |
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previously been elected as a member of the house of representatives |
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to six full terms. |
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(b) Except as provided by Subsection (d) of this section, a |
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person is not eligible to be elected to the senate if at the time of |
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election the person has previously been elected as a member of the |
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senate to three or more full four-year or full two-year terms |
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totaling 12 or more years. |
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(c) The following are not counted in determining whether a |
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person is disqualified from election to office under Subsection (a) |
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or (b) of this section: |
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(1) election to an unexpired term; or |
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(2) election to a full term before 2016. |
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(d) A person who would otherwise be disqualified from |
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holding an office under Subsection (a) or (b) of this section, as |
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applicable, may be elected to a new term in that office if at the |
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time of election two or more regular legislative sessions have |
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passed since the person last held that office. The limitations of |
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Subsection (a) or (b) of this section, as applicable, apply to the |
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new term of office beginning on the date the new term of office |
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begins. A person who qualifies for election to a new term of office |
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under this subsection receives no benefits of seniority in the |
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senate or house of representatives, as applicable, based on service |
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in that office before the new term of office begins. |
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SECTION 2. Section 9, Article III, Texas Constitution, is |
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amended by adding Subsections (b-1), (b-2), and (b-3) to read as |
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follows: |
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(b-1) A member of the House of Representatives is not |
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eligible to be elected as Speaker unless at the time of election the |
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member has served at least one full two-year term as a member of the |
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House of Representatives. |
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(b-2) A member of the House of Representatives is not |
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eligible to be elected as Speaker if at the time of election the |
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member has previously served as Speaker for 72 or more calendar |
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months regardless of whether the months the member served as |
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Speaker were concurrent. |
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(b-3) Service as Speaker before January 1, 2016, is not |
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counted in determining whether a member is disqualified from |
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election as Speaker under Subsection (b-2) of this section. |
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SECTION 3. Article III, Texas Constitution, is amended by |
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adding Section 9a to read as follows: |
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Sec. 9a. (a) A member of the senate or house of |
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representatives is not eligible to be designated as chair of a |
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standing committee if at the time of designation the member has |
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previously served as chair of that standing committee for 72 or more |
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calendar months regardless of whether the months the member served |
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as chair were concurrent. |
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(b) Service as chair of a standing committee before January |
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1, 2016, is not counted in determining whether a member is |
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disqualified from designation as chair of that standing committee |
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under this section. |
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SECTION 4. Article IV, Texas Constitution, is amended by |
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adding Section 2a to read as follows: |
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Sec. 2a. (a) A person is not eligible for election or |
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appointment to an elective office listed in Section 1 of this |
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article, Sections 2 and 4 of Article V, Section 30(b) of Article |
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XVI, or to any other state office elected by the voters at a |
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statewide election if the person has previously been elected to |
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that office for two full terms. |
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(b) Nothing in this section prohibits a person from |
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continuing to serve in an office covered by this section after the |
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end of a term as a holdover under Section 17, Article XVI, of this |
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constitution until a successor is qualified. |
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(c) The following are not counted in determining whether a |
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person is disqualified from election to office under this section: |
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(1) election or appointment to or assumption of an |
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unexpired term; or |
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(2) election to a full term before 2016. |
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SECTION 5. Article XVI, Texas Constitution, is amended by |
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adding Section 29 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 29. (a) In this section, "local elective office" |
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means every district office or office of a political subdivision of |
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this state that is filled by popular election. |
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(b) A person is not eligible for election or appointment to |
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a local elective office if on the date the term begins the person |
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has served in that office during any part of each of eight or more |
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calendar years. |
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(c) For purposes of this section, service in more than one |
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elective position on a governing body is considered service in the |
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same office. This subsection does not apply to ex officio service |
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on a governing body. |
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(d) Nothing in this section prohibits a person from |
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continuing to serve in an office covered by this section after the |
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end of a term as a holdover under Section 17 of this article until a |
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successor is qualified. |
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(e) For purposes of this section, a calendar year begins |
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January 1 and ends December 31. |
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(f) Service in office before January 1, 2016, does not count |
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for purposes of determining whether a person is disqualified from |
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election to office under this section. |
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(g) This section does not prohibit the legislature by |
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general law or a political subdivision of this state by charter, |
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ordinance, order, or other appropriate means from imposing a more |
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restrictive limit on the time or number of terms that a person may |
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serve in an elective office. |
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(h) This section does not apply to an office for which |
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another provision of this constitution imposes a limit on the time |
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or number of terms that a person may serve in the office. |
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SECTION 6. Article XVI, Texas Constitution, is amended by |
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adding Section 29a to read as follows: |
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Sec. 29a. (a) A person is not eligible for appointment to an |
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office that is filled by appointment of the governor with the advice |
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and consent of the senate and whose duties include serving as the |
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head of a state agency if at the time of appointment the person has |
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previously served in that office for a cumulative period of four or |
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more years. |
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(b) Nothing in this section prohibits a person from |
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continuing to serve in an office covered by this section after the |
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end of a term as a holdover under Section 17 of this article until a |
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successor is qualified. |
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(c) Service in office before January 1, 2016, is not counted |
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in determining whether a person is disqualified from appointment to |
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office under this section. |
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(d) This section does not prohibit the legislature by |
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general law from imposing a more restrictive limit on the time or |
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number of terms that a person may serve in an office. |
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(e) This section does not apply to an office for which |
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another provision of this constitution or general law imposes a |
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more restrictive limit on the time or number of terms that a person |
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may serve in the office. |
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SECTION 7. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be |
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submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 3, 2015. |
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The ballot shall be printed to provide for voting for or against the |
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proposition: "The constitutional amendment to provide |
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qualifications for and limit the time that a person may serve in |
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certain offices." |