Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SJR63 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		By: Middleton S.J.R. No. 63
2		-	(In the Senate - Filed February 27, 2025; March 13, 2025,
3		-	read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;
4		-	April 14, 2025, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
5		-	Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; April 14, 2025,
6		-	sent to printer.)
7		-	Click here to see the committee vote
8		-	COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.J.R. No. 63 By: Middleton
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13	6		SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
14	7		proposing a constitutional amendment regarding the terminology
15	8		used in the Texas Constitution to refer to the partially landlocked
16	9		body of water on the southeastern periphery of the North American
17	10		continent.
18	11		BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
19		-	SECTION 1. Section 33~~(a)~~, Article I, Texas Constitution, is
	12	+	SECTION 1. Section 33, Article I, Texas Constitution, is
20	13		amended to read as follows:
21		-	(a) In this section, "public beach" means a state-owned
22		-	beach bordering on the seaward shore of the Gulf of America [Gulf of
23		-	Mexico], extending from mean low tide to the landward boundary of
24		-	state-owned submerged land, and any larger area extending from the
25		-	line of mean low tide to the line of vegetation bordering on the
26		-	Gulf of America [Gulf of Mexico] to which the public has acquired a
27		-	right of use or easement to or over the area by prescription or
28		-	dedication or has established and retained a right by virtue of
29		-	continuous right in the public under Texas common law.
	14	+	Sec. 33. PUBLIC ACCESS TO AND USE OF PUBLIC BEACHES. (a) In
	15	+	this section, "public beach" means a state-owned beach bordering on
	16	+	the seaward shore of the Gulf of America [Gulf of Mexico], extending
	17	+	from mean low tide to the landward boundary of state-owned
	18	+	submerged land, and any larger area extending from the line of mean
	19	+	low tide to the line of vegetation bordering on the Gulf of America
	20	+	[Gulf of Mexico] to which the public has acquired a right of use or
	21	+	easement to or over the area by prescription or dedication or has
	22	+	established and retained a right by virtue of continuous right in
	23	+	the public under Texas common law.
30	24		SECTION 2. Section 1-i, Article VIII, Texas Constitution,
31	25		is amended to read as follows:
32		-	Sec. 1-i. The legislature by general law may provide ad
33		-	valorem tax relief for mobile marine drilling equipment designed
34		-	for offshore drilling of oil or gas wells that is being stored while
35		-	not in use in a county bordering on the Gulf of America [Gulf of
36		-	Mexico] or on a bay or other body of water immediately adjacent to
37		-	the Gulf of America [Gulf of Mexico].
	26	+	Sec. 1-i. MOBILE MARINE DRILLING EQUIPMENT; AD VALOREM TAX
	27	+	RELIEF. The legislature by general law may provide ad valorem tax
	28	+	relief for mobile marine drilling equipment designed for offshore
	29	+	drilling of oil or gas wells that is being stored while not in use in
	30	+	a county bordering on the Gulf of America [Gulf of Mexico] or on a
	31	+	bay or other body of water immediately adjacent to the Gulf of
	32	+	America [Gulf of Mexico].
38	33		SECTION 3. Section 1-A, Article IX, Texas Constitution, is
39	34		amended to read as follows:
40		-	Sec. 1-A. The Legislature may authorize the governing body
41		-	of any county bordering on the Gulf of America [Gulf of Mexico] or
42		-	the tidewater limits thereof to regulate and restrict the speed,
43		-	parking and travel of motor vehicles on beaches available to the
44		-	public by virtue of public right and the littering of such beaches.
	35	+	Sec. 1-A. AUTHORITY OF COASTAL COUNTIES TO REGULATE MOTOR
	36	+	VEHICLES AND LITTERING ON BEACHES. The Legislature may authorize
	37	+	the governing body of any county bordering on the Gulf of America
	38	+	[Gulf of Mexico] or the tidewater limits thereof to regulate and
	39	+	restrict the speed, parking and travel of motor vehicles on beaches
	40	+	available to the public by virtue of public right and the littering
	41	+	of such beaches.
45	42		Nothing in this amendment shall increase the rights of any
46	43		riparian or littoral landowner with regard to beaches available to
47	44		the public by virtue of public right or submerged lands.
48	45		The Legislature may enact any laws not inconsistent with this
49	46		Section which it may deem necessary to permit said counties to
50	47		implement, enforce and administer the provisions contained herein.
51		-	Should the Legislature enact legislation in anticipation of
52		-	~~the~~ adoption of this amendment, such legislation shall not be
53		-	~~invalid~~ by reason of its anticipatory character.
54		-	SECTION 4. Section 7~~(a)~~, Article XI, Texas Constitution, is
	48	+	Should the Legislature enact legislation in anticipation of the
	49	+	adoption of this amendment, such legislation shall not be invalid
	50	+	by reason of its anticipatory character.
	51	+	SECTION 4. Section 7, Article XI, Texas Constitution, is
55	52		amended to read as follows:
56		-	(a) All counties and cities bordering on the coast of the
57		-	Gulf of America [Gulf of Mexico] are hereby authorized upon a vote
58		-	of the majority of the qualified voters voting thereon at an
59		-	election called for such purpose to levy and collect such tax for
60		-	construction of sea walls, breakwaters, or sanitary purposes, as
61		-	may now or may hereafter be authorized by law, and may create a debt
62		-	for such works and issue bonds in evidence thereof. But no debt for
63		-	any purpose shall ever be incurred in any manner by any city or
64		-	county unless provision is made, at the time of creating the same,
65		-	for levying and collecting a sufficient tax to pay the interest
66		-	thereon and provide at least two per cent (2%) as a sinking fund,
67		-	except as provided by Subsection (b); and the condemnation of the
68		-	right of way for the erection of such works shall be fully provided
69		-	for.
	53	+	Sec. 7. COUNTIES AND CITIES ON GULF OF AMERICA [GULF OF
	54	+	MEXICO]; TAX FOR SEA WALLS, BREAKWATERS, AND SANITATION; BONDS;
	55	+	CONDEMNATION OF RIGHT OF WAY. (a) All counties and cities
	56	+	bordering on the coast of the Gulf of America [Gulf of Mexico] are
	57	+	hereby authorized upon a vote of the majority of the qualified
	58	+	voters voting thereon at an election called for such purpose to levy
	59	+	and collect such tax for construction of sea walls, breakwaters, or
	60	+	sanitary purposes, as may now or may hereafter be authorized by law,
	61	+	and may create a debt for such works and issue bonds in evidence
	62	+	thereof. But no debt for any purpose shall ever be incurred in any
	63	+	manner by any city or county unless provision is made, at the time
	64	+	of creating the same, for levying and collecting a sufficient tax to
	65	+	pay the interest thereon and provide at least two per cent (2%) as a
	66	+	sinking fund, except as provided by Subsection (b); and the
	67	+	condemnation of the right of way for the erection of such works
	68	+	shall be fully provided for.
70	69		SECTION 5. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be
71	70		submitted to the voters at an election to be held on November 4,
72	71		2025. The ballot shall be printed to provide for voting for or
73		-	against the proposition: "The constitutional amendment changing
74		-	references in the Texas Constitution to the partially landlocked
75		-	body of water on the southeastern periphery of the North American
76		-	continent, commonly known as the "Gulf of Mexico," to the "Gulf of
77		-	America."
78		-	* * * * *
	72	+	against the proposition: "The constitutional amendment
	73	+	redesignating references in the Texas Constitution to the partially
	74	+	landlocked body of water on the southeastern periphery of the North
	75	+	American continent, commonly known as the "Gulf of Mexico", to the
	76	+	"Gulf of America."