Proposing a constitutional amendment to limit the time that a person may serve as a member of the Texas Legislature, a statewide elected officer in the executive branch, or a state employee in the legislative or executive branch of state government.

The text as introduced · 804 words

90R1119 JCG-D

By: Tepper
H.J.R. No. 28

A JOINT RESOLUTION

proposing a constitutional amendment to limit the time that a

person may serve as a member of the Texas Legislature, a statewide

elected officer in the executive branch, or a state employee in the

legislative or executive branch of state government.

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Article III, Texas Constitution, is amended by

adding Section 7a to read as follows:

Sec. 7a. (a) A person is not eligible to be elected to the

house of representatives if, before the date of the election, the

person has served as a member of the house for eight whole regular

sessions of the legislature.

(b) A person is not eligible to be elected to the senate if,

before the date of the election, the person has served as a member

of the senate for eight whole regular sessions of the legislature.

This subsection does not prohibit a person who has served as a

member of the senate for seven whole regular sessions of the

legislature from being elected to or serving a four-year term in the

senate even though at the end of that term the person will have

served for more than eight whole regular sessions.

(c) A person is not eligible to be elected to the house of

representatives or the senate if, before the date of election, the

person has served in either chamber of the legislature for 12 whole

regular sessions of the legislature. This section does not

prohibit a person who has served in either chamber of the

legislature for 11 whole regular sessions of the legislature from

being elected to or serving a four-year term in the senate even

though at the end of that term the person will have served for more

than 12 whole regular sessions.

(d) For purposes of this section, a person is considered to

have served for one whole regular session of the legislature for

every two years the person served in an elective office listed in

Section 1, Article IV, of this constitution or any other state

office in the executive department of state government elected by

the voters at a statewide election. For purposes of this

subsection, "year" means 12 consecutive months.

(e) Legislative service before the legislature convenes in

regular session in 2029 is not counted in determining whether a

person is disqualified from election to office under this section.

Service in an elective office listed in Section 1, Article IV, of

this constitution, or service in any other state office in the

executive department of state government elected by the voters at a

statewide election, whose term of office is completed on or before

January 1, 2029, is not counted in determining whether a person is

disqualified from election to office under this section.

SECTION 2. Article IV, Texas Constitution, is amended by

adding Section 2a to read as follows:

Sec. 2a. (a) In this section, "year" means 12 consecutive

months.

(b) A person is not eligible to be elected to an elective

office listed in Section 1 of this article or to any other state

office in the executive department of state government elected by

the voters at a statewide election if on or before the date the

person will begin to serve in that office the person will have

served for a total of 16 or more years in those offices.

(c) For purposes of this section, a person is considered to

have served for two years in an office described by Subsection (b)

of this section for each whole regular session the person served as

a representative or senator in the legislature.

(d) Nothing in this section prohibits a person from

continuing to serve in an office covered by this section after the

end of a term as a holdover under Section 17, Article XVI, of this

constitution until a successor is qualified.

(e) Service in office before January 1, 2029, does not count

for purposes of determining whether a person is disqualified from

office under this section.

SECTION 3. Article XVI, Texas Constitution, is amended by

adding Section 74 to read as follows:

Sec. 74. The legislature by general law shall prohibit any

state employee from serving for a total of more than 24 years in the

legislative or executive department of state government.

SECTION 4. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be

submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 2, 2027.

The ballot shall be printed to provide for voting for or against the

following proposition: "The constitutional amendment to limit the

time that a person may serve as a member of the Texas Legislature, a

statewide elected officer in the executive branch, or a state

employee in the legislative or executive branch of state

government."