| 1 | 1 | | 81R1569 JSA-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Naishtat H.J.R. No. 23 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A JOINT RESOLUTION |
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| 6 | 6 | | proposing a constitutional amendment to require that a record vote |
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| 7 | 7 | | be taken by a house of the legislature on second reading of a bill or |
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| 8 | 8 | | resolution for which a record vote is currently required on final |
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| 9 | 9 | | passage and on adoption of an amendment or substitute to such a bill |
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| 10 | 10 | | or resolution, and that a vote taken by a legislative committee on |
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| 11 | 11 | | such a bill or resolution or on an amendment or substitute to such a |
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| 12 | 12 | | bill or resolution be by record vote. |
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| 13 | 13 | | BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 14 | 14 | | SECTION 1. Section 12, Article III, Texas Constitution, is |
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| 15 | 15 | | amended by amending Subsections (b) and (d) and adding Subsection |
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| 16 | 16 | | (e) to read as follows: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) A vote taken by either house must be by record vote with |
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| 18 | 18 | | the vote of each member entered in the journal of that house if the |
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| 19 | 19 | | vote is on second reading or final passage of a bill, a resolution |
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| 20 | 20 | | proposing or ratifying a constitutional amendment, or another |
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| 21 | 21 | | resolution other than a resolution of a purely ceremonial or |
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| 22 | 22 | | honorary nature, or if the vote is on adoption of an amendment or |
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| 23 | 23 | | substitute to such a bill or resolution. Either house by rule may |
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| 24 | 24 | | provide for exceptions to this requirement for a bill that applies |
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| 25 | 25 | | only to one district or political subdivision of this state. For |
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| 26 | 26 | | purposes of this subsection, a vote on final passage includes a vote |
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| 27 | 27 | | on third reading [in a house, or on second reading if the house |
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| 28 | 28 | | suspends the requirement for three readings], a vote on whether to |
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| 29 | 29 | | concur in the other house's amendments, and a vote on whether to |
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| 30 | 30 | | adopt a conference committee report. |
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| 31 | 31 | | (d) A vote taken by a committee of either house of the |
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| 32 | 32 | | legislature on whether to report a bill or resolution for which a |
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| 33 | 33 | | record vote would be required by Subsection (b), or on whether to |
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| 34 | 34 | | adopt an amendment or substitute to such a bill or resolution, must |
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| 35 | 35 | | be by record vote, with the vote of each member entered in the |
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| 36 | 36 | | minutes of the committee. Either house by rule may provide for |
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| 37 | 37 | | exceptions to this requirement for a bill that applies only to one |
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| 38 | 38 | | district or political subdivision of this state. |
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| 39 | 39 | | (e) Each house shall make each record vote required under |
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| 40 | 40 | | Subsection (b) or (d) of this section, including the vote of each |
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| 41 | 41 | | individual member as recorded in the journal of that house or in the |
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| 42 | 42 | | committee minutes, available to the public for a reasonable period |
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| 43 | 43 | | of not less than two years through the Internet or a successor |
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| 44 | 44 | | electronic communications system accessible by the public. For a |
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| 45 | 45 | | record vote on a bill or on a resolution proposing or ratifying a |
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| 46 | 46 | | constitutional amendment, the record vote must be accessible to the |
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| 47 | 47 | | public by reference to the designated number of the bill or |
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| 48 | 48 | | resolution and by reference to its subject. |
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| 49 | 49 | | SECTION 2. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be |
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| 50 | 50 | | submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 3, 2009. |
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| 51 | 51 | | The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the |
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| 52 | 52 | | proposition: "The constitutional amendment to require that a record |
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| 53 | 53 | | vote be taken by a house of the legislature on second reading of a |
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| 54 | 54 | | bill or resolution for which a record vote is currently required on |
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| 55 | 55 | | final passage and on adoption of an amendment or substitute to such |
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| 56 | 56 | | a bill or resolution, and that a vote taken by a legislative |
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| 57 | 57 | | committee on such a bill or resolution or on an amendment or |
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| 58 | 58 | | substitute to such a bill or resolution be by record vote." |
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