| 1 | 1 | | 86R13111 AAF-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Reynolds H.J.R. No. 87 |
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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 requiring the payment of |
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| 7 | 7 | | reparations to the next of kin of certain victims of the state's |
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| 8 | 8 | | convict leasing system. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Article I, Texas Constitution, is amended by |
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| 11 | 11 | | adding Section 30a to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 30a. (a) In this section, "commission" means the Texas |
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| 13 | 13 | | Historical Commission or its successor in function. |
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| 14 | 14 | | (b) The commission, in consultation with any agency of the |
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| 15 | 15 | | state that the commission determines is necessary, shall identify |
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| 16 | 16 | | the next of kin, if any, of each of the 95 convict leasing victims |
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| 17 | 17 | | whose remains were discovered in 2018 at the site of the former |
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| 18 | 18 | | Imperial State Prison Farm in Sugar Land. The next of kin described |
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| 19 | 19 | | by this subsection are entitled to reparations to compensate for |
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| 20 | 20 | | the harm caused by the state's convict leasing system. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (c) The commission shall determine the amount of |
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| 22 | 22 | | reparations to which the next of kin described by Subsection (a) of |
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| 23 | 23 | | this section are entitled. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (d) The commission shall adopt a schedule of reparations |
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| 25 | 25 | | payments for the next of kin described by Subsection (a) of this |
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| 26 | 26 | | section. Each next of kin is entitled to an equal dollar amount of |
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| 27 | 27 | | the reparations. |
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| 28 | 28 | | (e) Reparations are payable from funds appropriated for |
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| 29 | 29 | | that purpose. Payment shall be made in the manner provided by law |
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| 30 | 30 | | under the general supervision of the commission. |
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| 31 | 31 | | SECTION 2. The following temporary provision is added to |
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| 32 | 32 | | the Texas Constitution: |
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| 33 | 33 | | TEMPORARY PROVISION. This temporary provision applies to the |
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| 34 | 34 | | constitutional amendment proposed by the 86th Legislature, Regular |
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| 35 | 35 | | Session, 2019, that requires the Texas Historical Commission to |
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| 36 | 36 | | make payments of reparations to the next of kin of certain victims |
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| 37 | 37 | | of the state's convict leasing system. On the date the commission |
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| 38 | 38 | | completes reparations payments to the next of kin: |
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| 39 | 39 | | (1) this temporary provision expires; and |
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| 40 | 40 | | (2) Section 30a, Article I, of this constitution |
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| 41 | 41 | | expires. |
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| 42 | 42 | | SECTION 3. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be |
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| 43 | 43 | | submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 5, 2019. |
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| 44 | 44 | | The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the |
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| 45 | 45 | | proposition: "The constitutional amendment requiring the payment |
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| 46 | 46 | | of reparations to the next of kin of certain victims of the state's |
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| 47 | 47 | | convict leasing system." |
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