89R277 TJB-D
By: Guillen H.J.R. No. 29
A JOINT RESOLUTION
proposing a constitutional amendment prescribing certain
requirements applicable to the impeachment of an officer by the
house of representatives and repealing the requirement that an
officer against whom articles of impeachment have been preferred be
suspended from the exercise of the duties of office during the
pendency of the impeachment.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 1, Article XV, Texas Constitution, is
amended to read as follows:
Sec. 1. (a) The power of impeachment is [shall be] vested in
the House of Representatives.
(b) The House of Representatives may not impeach an officer
unless a committee of the House has first adopted articles of
impeachment against the officer and filed the articles with the
chief clerk of the House or the successor officer performing the
chief clerk's functions. The House of Representatives may not
consider the articles of impeachment earlier than the 14th day
after the date the articles are filed by the committee.
(c) Not later than 24 hours after the time a committee files
articles of impeachment as provided by Subsection (b) of this
section, the committee shall make available to each member of the
House of Representatives each document or other item of evidence
considered by the committee as part of the committee's
investigation.
(d) A witness who testifies before a committee conducting an
impeachment investigation or before the House of Representatives
when conducting an impeachment proceeding must testify under oath.
(e) An officer who is the subject of an impeachment
investigation or impeachment proceeding is entitled to
cross-examine any witness testifying during the investigation or
proceeding.
SECTION 2. Section 5, Article XV, Texas Constitution, is
repealed.
SECTION 3. The following temporary provision is added to
the Texas Constitution:
TEMPORARY PROVISION. (a) This temporary provision applies
to the constitutional amendment proposed by the 89th Legislature,
Regular Session, 2025, prescribing certain requirements applicable
to the impeachment of an officer by the house of representatives and
repealing the requirement that an officer against whom articles of
impeachment have been preferred be suspended from the exercise of
the duties of office during the pendency of the impeachment.
(b) The amendment to Section 1, Article XV, of this
constitution, and the repeal of Section 5, Article XV, of this
constitution, take effect January 1, 2026, and apply only to the
impeachment of an officer under Article XV of this constitution for
whom the house of representatives has not preferred articles of
impeachment on or before that date.
(c) This temporary provision expires January 1, 2027.
SECTION 4. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be
submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 4, 2025.
The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the
proposition: "The constitutional amendment prescribing certain
requirements applicable to the impeachment of an officer by the
house of representatives and repealing the requirement that an
officer against whom articles of impeachment have been preferred be
suspended from the exercise of the duties of office during the
pendency of the impeachment."