HBA-KMH H.J.R. 66 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.J.R. 66 By: Driver Select Committee - Constitutional Revision 3/26/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, the Texas Constitution of 1876 (constitution), requires the Senate to consist of thirty-one members and never be increased above this number. The constitution further requires the House of Representatives to consist of ninety-three members until the first apportionment after the adoption of this Constitution, when or at any apportionment thereafter, the number of Representatives may be increased by the Legislature, upon the ratio of not more than one Representative for every fifteen thousand inhabitants; provided, the number of Representatives shall never exceed one hundred and fifty. The Senate now stands at thirty-one members and the House of Representatives has reached the constitutionally prescribed limit of one hundred and fifty members. As proposed, H.J.R. 66 requires the submission to the voters of a constitutional amendment to require the Senate to consist of thirty-one members and the House of Representatives to consist of one hundred and fifty members. H.J.R. 66 also removes the language limiting the House of Representatives to 150 members and providing for the manner in which the number of representatives may be increased. Furthermore, H.J.R. 66 repeals the emergency clause exception to the effective date of legislation in the constitution. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 2, Article III, Texas Constitution, as follows: Sec. 2. Requires the Senate to consist of 31members and the House of Representatives to consist of 150 members, rather than 93 members. Withdraws express authorization for the legislature to statutorily increase the number of house members, up to and never more than 150 members, at a ratio of one member per 15,000 inhabitants. SECTION 2. Amends Section 6, Article VIII, Texas Constitution, as follows: Sec. 6. Makes a nonsubstantive change. SECTION 3. Amends Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution, as follows: Sec. 39. Removes an exception to the prohibition against passing legislation that takes effect or goes into force within ninety days after adjournment of the session at which it was enacted in the case of an emergency which is expressed in the preamble or in the body of the act. SECTION 4. Requires this proposed constitutional amendment to be submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 2, 1999. Sets forth the required language for the ballot.