87R3930 MAW-D
By: Johnson S.J.R. No. 20
A JOINT RESOLUTION
proposing a constitutional amendment requiring the lieutenant
governor and speaker of the house of representatives to call the
legislature into special session on petition of at least two-thirds
of the members of each house of the legislature in response to a
fiscal crisis, war, natural disaster, or emergency.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Article III, Texas Constitution, is amended by
adding Section 5A to read as follows:
Sec. 5A. The lieutenant governor and speaker of the house of
representatives shall by joint proclamation convene the
legislature in special session on receipt of a petition that is
signed by at least two-thirds of the members of each house of the
legislature requesting the special session for the purpose of
responding to a fiscal crisis, war, natural disaster, or emergency.
The proclamation must provide for convening the legislature not
later than the 60th day after the date the lieutenant governor and
speaker of the house of representatives receive the petition.
SECTION 2. Section 40, Article III, Texas Constitution, is
amended to read as follows:
Sec. 40. (a) When the legislature is [Legislature shall be]
convened in a special session called by the governor as authorized
by Section 8, Article IV, of this constitution, the legislature may
not consider [there shall be no] legislation on a subject [upon
subjects] other than a subject [those] designated in the
proclamation of the governor [Governor] calling the [such] session,
or presented to the legislature [them] by the governor.
(b) When the legislature is convened in a special session
required by Section 5A of this article, the legislature may not
consider legislation on a subject other than a subject directly
related to the state's response to the fiscal crisis, war, natural
disaster, or emergency for which the special session is convened.
(c) No special [Governor; and no such] session shall be of
longer duration than thirty days.
SECTION 3. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be
submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 2, 2021.
The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the
proposition: "The constitutional amendment requiring the
lieutenant governor and speaker of the house of representatives to
call the legislature into special session on petition of at least
two-thirds of the members of each house of the legislature in
response to a fiscal crisis, war, natural disaster, or emergency."