| 1 | 1 | | 89R12662 MLH-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Lowe H.J.R. No. 170 |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A JOINT RESOLUTION |
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| 8 | 8 | | proposing a constitutional amendment providing for the statewide |
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| 9 | 9 | | election of the speaker of the house of representatives by the |
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| 10 | 10 | | voters of this state. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Article III, Texas Constitution, is amended by |
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| 13 | 13 | | adding Section 9-a to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 9-a. (a) The Speaker of the House of Representatives |
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| 15 | 15 | | shall be elected by the qualified voters of this state at the time |
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| 16 | 16 | | and places of election for members of the Legislature. A person |
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| 17 | 17 | | elected as Speaker serves a term of two years expiring when the |
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| 18 | 18 | | Legislature for which the Speaker was elected ends. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (b) A person may not serve as Speaker of the House unless the |
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| 20 | 20 | | person is qualified to be elected or to serve as a member of the |
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| 21 | 21 | | House of Representatives. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (c) The Speaker of the House: |
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| 23 | 23 | | (1) is ineligible for any office or position for which |
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| 24 | 24 | | a member of the Legislature is ineligible; and |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2) may not be a member of the Senate or the House of |
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| 26 | 26 | | Representatives. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (d) The returns of the election for Speaker of the House |
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| 28 | 28 | | shall be transmitted to the Speaker pro tempore of the House in the |
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| 29 | 29 | | manner provided by law for the transmission of the returns for the |
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| 30 | 30 | | office of Governor and Lieutenant Governor to the Speaker. The |
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| 31 | 31 | | Legislature shall canvass the returns, and the person elected as |
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| 32 | 32 | | Speaker shall be determined in the manner provided by Section 3, |
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| 33 | 33 | | Article IV, of this constitution for the office of Lieutenant |
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| 34 | 34 | | Governor. The canvass of the returns and declaration of election |
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| 35 | 35 | | for the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor under Section |
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| 36 | 36 | | 3, Article IV, may not be conducted until a Speaker is elected and |
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| 37 | 37 | | assumes office under this subsection. |
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| 38 | 38 | | (e) A vacancy in the office of Speaker of the House shall be |
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| 39 | 39 | | filled in the same manner as a vacancy in the Legislature. The |
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| 40 | 40 | | Speaker pro tempore of the House of Representatives serves as |
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| 41 | 41 | | Speaker until the vacancy is filled. The election of a member of |
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| 42 | 42 | | the Legislature to fill a vacancy in the office of Speaker creates a |
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| 43 | 43 | | vacancy in that member's legislative seat. |
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| 44 | 44 | | (f) The initial election for Speaker of the House shall be |
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| 45 | 45 | | held in 2026 for a term that begins when the person elected at that |
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| 46 | 46 | | election is declared elected as Speaker when the Legislature |
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| 47 | 47 | | convenes in 2027. This subsection expires January 1, 2030. |
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| 48 | 48 | | SECTION 2. Section 9(b), Article III, Texas Constitution, |
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| 49 | 49 | | is repealed. |
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| 50 | 50 | | SECTION 3. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be |
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| 51 | 51 | | submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 4, 2025. |
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| 52 | 52 | | The ballot shall be printed to provide for voting for or against the |
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| 53 | 53 | | proposition: "The constitutional amendment providing for the |
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| 54 | 54 | | statewide election of the speaker of the house of representatives |
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| 55 | 55 | | by the voters of this state." |
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