Proposing a constitutional amendment to limit the time in which the legislature may enact or modify districts for the Texas Legislature or the United States House of Representatives.

The text as introduced · 410 words

90R2204 MLH-D

By: Anchía
H.J.R. No. 77

A JOINT RESOLUTION

proposing a constitutional amendment to limit the time in which the

legislature may enact or modify districts for the Texas Legislature

or the United States House of Representatives.

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

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

adding Section 28B to read as follows:

Sec. 28B. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (c) of this

section, the legislature may not enact a bill that provides for an

apportionment or modification of senatorial or representative

districts at a time other than the time in which the legislature is

required to make an apportionment under Section 28 of this article.

(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c) of this section,

the legislature may not enact a bill that provides for or modifies

the composition of districts for the election of members of the

United States House of Representatives at a time other than:

(1) the calendar year in which the federal decennial

census is released, if the census is released on or before September

1; or

(2) a 120-day period beginning on the day the census is

released, if the census is released after September 1.

(c) If a trial or appellate court or other governmental

agency with jurisdiction over the matter finds that one or more

districts in effect for or previously enacted or ordered for the

election of members of the legislature or the United States House of

Representatives are invalid or takes any action that has the effect

of prohibiting this state from holding elections in one or more of

those districts, the legislature may enact a bill described by

Subsection (a) or (b) of this section, as appropriate, relating to

the same legislative body within one year after the date of the

court or agency action, except that the legislature may not enact a

bill apportioning or modifying districts of a house of the

legislature during the period the Legislative Redistricting Board

has exclusive jurisdiction to act on those districts under Section

28 of this article.

SECTION 2. 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 permit voting for or against the

proposition: "The constitutional amendment to limit the time in

which the legislature may enact or modify districts for the Texas

Legislature or the United States House of Representatives."