Bill Text: TX HJR140 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Proposing a constitutional amendment providing for the reapportionment of congressional districts and the creation, function, and duties of the Texas Congressional Redistricting Commission.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-04-04 - Left pending in committee [HJR140 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HJR140-Introduced.html
By: Reynolds | H.J.R. No. 140 |
|
||
proposing a constitutional amendment providing for the | ||
reapportionment of congressional districts and the creation, | ||
function, and duties of the Texas Congressional Redistricting | ||
Commission. | ||
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Article III, Texas Constitution, is amended by | ||
adding Sections 28a and 28b to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 28a. (a) In this section: | ||
(1) "Commission" means the Texas Congressional | ||
Redistricting Commission established under Section 28b of this | ||
article. | ||
(2) "Redistricting plan" means a redistricting plan | ||
for the election of the members of the United States House of | ||
Representatives elected from this state. | ||
(3) "Redistricting year" means a year ending in the | ||
numeral one. | ||
(b) Except as otherwise provided by this section, the | ||
legislature exercises the authority of this state to adopt a | ||
redistricting plan for the election of the members of the United | ||
States House of Representatives elected from this state. | ||
(c) The legislature shall pass a bill that includes a | ||
redistricting plan not later than September 30 of each | ||
redistricting year. The legislature must pass the bill by an | ||
affirmative vote of at least three-fifths of the members of each | ||
house of the legislature, including at least: | ||
(1) one-half of the members of each house of the | ||
legislature who represent the largest political party in that | ||
house; and | ||
(2) one-half of the members of each house of the | ||
legislature who represent the second largest political party in | ||
that house. | ||
(d) The commission shall adopt a redistricting plan if the | ||
legislature fails to pass a redistricting plan in a redistricting | ||
year as provided by Subsection (c) of this section. The commission | ||
must adopt the plan not later than October 31 of that redistricting | ||
year by the affirmative vote of at least four members of the | ||
commission, including at least: | ||
(1) two members of the commission who represent the | ||
largest political party in the legislature; and | ||
(2) two members of the commission who represent the | ||
second largest political party in the legislature. | ||
(e) A redistricting plan adopted by the commission under | ||
Subsection (d) of this section must be filed with the secretary of | ||
state. | ||
(f) The legislature shall pass a bill that includes a | ||
redistricting plan if the commission fails to adopt a redistricting | ||
plan in a redistricting year as provided by Subsection (d) of this | ||
section. The legislature must pass the plan not later than November | ||
30 of that redistricting year by the vote required by Subsection (c) | ||
of this section. | ||
(g) A redistricting plan passed by the legislature or | ||
adopted by the commission under this section takes effect December | ||
1 of the redistricting year in which the plan is passed or adopted | ||
and remains in effect until December 1 of the next redistricting | ||
year. | ||
(h) The legislature may not pass, and the commission may not | ||
adopt, a redistricting plan unless a joint committee of the | ||
legislature or the commission, as applicable, has held at least two | ||
public hearings on the plan at which members of the public are given | ||
an opportunity to testify. | ||
(i) A redistricting plan passed by the legislature or | ||
adopted by the commission must comply with the requirements of this | ||
constitution and the United States Constitution. | ||
(j) The Supreme Court of Texas has exclusive and original | ||
jurisdiction in all cases arising under this section. | ||
Sec. 28b. (a) In this section, "redistricting year" has the | ||
meaning assigned by Section 28a of this article. | ||
(b) The Texas Congressional Redistricting Commission is | ||
established and consists of the following seven members: | ||
(1) the governor; | ||
(2) the lieutenant governor; | ||
(3) the speaker of the Texas House of Representatives; | ||
(4) one person appointed by the lieutenant governor; | ||
(5) one person appointed by the speaker of the Texas | ||
House of Representatives; | ||
(6) one person appointed by the largest political | ||
party represented in the Texas House of Representatives of which | ||
the speaker of that house is not a member; and | ||
(7) one person appointed by the largest political | ||
party represented in the Texas Senate of which the lieutenant | ||
governor is not a member. | ||
(c) A member of the commission must be a resident of this | ||
state. A person is not eligible to serve as a member of the | ||
commission if the person is a member of the United States Congress. | ||
(d) A member of the commission appointed under Subsection | ||
(b)(4), (5), (6), or (7) serves a two-year term that begins on | ||
February 1 of a redistricting year. | ||
(e) The two largest political parties represented in the | ||
legislature shall each designate a member of the commission to | ||
serve as a co-chair of the commission. | ||
(f) A member of the commission is not entitled to receive | ||
compensation for service on the commission but is entitled to | ||
reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred in | ||
performing the duties of the commission. | ||
(g) The commission may employ staff to assist the commission | ||
in the performance of the duties of the commission. | ||
(h) The legislature shall appropriate sufficient money for | ||
the payment of the expenses of members of the commission and any | ||
staff employed by the commission. | ||
SECTION 2. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be | ||
submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 5, 2019. | ||
The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the | ||
proposition: "The constitutional amendment providing for the | ||
reapportionment of congressional districts and the creation, | ||
function, and duties of the Texas Congressional Redistricting | ||
Commission." |