| 1 | 1 | | 89R8517 JG-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Howard H.B. No. 3668 |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to authorization for a statewide referendum allowing |
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| 10 | 10 | | voters to indicate a preference for whether an additional |
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| 11 | 11 | | restriction on abortion access should be repealed. |
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| 12 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 13 | 13 | | SECTION 1. STATEWIDE REFERENDUM. On enactment by the 89th |
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| 14 | 14 | | Legislature, Regular Session, 2025, of legislation imposing any |
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| 15 | 15 | | additional restriction on access to abortion in this state, at the |
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| 16 | 16 | | general election to be held November 4, 2025, the voters shall be |
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| 17 | 17 | | permitted to vote in a statewide referendum to express their |
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| 18 | 18 | | opinion on whether the legislature should repeal the additional |
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| 19 | 19 | | abortion restriction. |
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| 20 | 20 | | SECTION 2. BALLOT PROPOSITION. The ballot for the |
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| 21 | 21 | | referendum shall be printed to provide for voting for or against the |
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| 22 | 22 | | proposition: "The legislature should repeal each additional |
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| 23 | 23 | | restriction on access to abortion enacted by the 89th Legislature, |
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| 24 | 24 | | Regular Session, 2025." |
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| 25 | 25 | | SECTION 3. FORM OF BALLOT. The referendum proposition |
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| 26 | 26 | | shall be printed on the ballot beneath any proposed constitutional |
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| 27 | 27 | | amendments under the heading: "Referendum Proposition." Beneath |
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| 28 | 28 | | the heading shall be printed the following: "This referendum is an |
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| 29 | 29 | | expression of public opinion only and has no binding effect as law." |
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| 30 | 30 | | SECTION 4. ELECTION PROCEDURE. (a) Notice of the election |
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| 31 | 31 | | shall be given by inclusion of the proposition in the governor's |
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| 32 | 32 | | proclamation ordering the election on any proposed amendment to the |
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| 33 | 33 | | state constitution and in each county judge's notice of that |
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| 34 | 34 | | election. If a proposed amendment to the state constitution is not |
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| 35 | 35 | | to be voted on in conjunction with the statewide referendum, notice |
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| 36 | 36 | | of the referendum election shall be given and the election held in |
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| 37 | 37 | | the manner applicable to a constitutional amendment election. |
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| 38 | 38 | | (b) Returns of the votes cast on the proposition shall be |
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| 39 | 39 | | made and canvassed in the same manner as the returns on a proposed |
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| 40 | 40 | | constitutional amendment. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (c) Immediately after the governor certifies the results of |
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| 42 | 42 | | the election, the secretary of state shall transmit a copy of the |
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| 43 | 43 | | certification to the speaker of the house of representatives and |
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| 44 | 44 | | the lieutenant governor. |
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| 45 | 45 | | SECTION 5. STATEMENT OF LEGISLATIVE INTENT. It is the |
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| 46 | 46 | | legislature's strong intention that, though the legislature has |
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| 47 | 47 | | rarely conducted a referendum on matters of statewide importance, |
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| 48 | 48 | | given the importance of this particular issue in this state, the |
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| 49 | 49 | | will of the people should be considered. |
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| 50 | 50 | | SECTION 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect |
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| 51 | 51 | | immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members |
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| 52 | 52 | | elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas |
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| 53 | 53 | | Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for |
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| 54 | 54 | | immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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