HBA-ALS H.J.R. 78 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.J.R. 78 By: Alexander State Affairs 4/22/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, a member of the House of Representatives is elected to a term of two years and a member of the Senate is elected for a term of four years. Some individuals believe that a large portion of a member's time in office is spent campaigning and fund-raising for the next campaign. The purpose of this bill is to allow members of the legislature to better utilize their time in office to serve their constituents by lengthening legislative terms. As proposed, H.J.R. 78 requires the submission to the voters of a constitutional amendment to requiring senators serve a term of six years and to requiring house members serve a term of four years. 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 Sections 3 and 4, Article III, Texas Constitution, as follows: Sec. 3. (a) Created from existing text. Requires senators to be chosen by the qualified electors for the term of six, rather than four years. Requires a new senate to be chosen after every apportionment and requires the senators elected after each apportionment to be divided by lot into three, rather than two classes. Requires the seats of the senators of the first class to be vacated at the expiration of the first two years, those of the second class at the expiration of four years, and those of the third class at the expiration of six years, so that one-third, rather than one-half, of the senators, or as near to one-third as may be, to be chosen biennially thereafter. (b) Created from existing text. (c) Created from existing text. Requires senate members to be elected to staggered six-year terms as provided by this section as amended in 1999 beginning with the first election of senators after the apportionment of the senate that occurs pursuant to the 2000 federal decennial census. Requires senators, until that election, to be elected to terms as provided by this section as it existed on January 1, 1999. Provides that this subsection expires January 1, 2005. Sec. 4. (a) Created from existing text. Requires the members of the House of Representatives to be chosen by the qualified electors for the term of four years, rather than two years. Requires a new House of Representatives to be chosen after every apportionment. Requires the house members elected after each apportionment to be divided by lot into two classes. Requires the house members of the first class to vacate their seats two years after the date on which their term of office begins and the members of the second class to vacate their seats four years after the date on which their term of office begins, so that one-half of the members will be elected biennially. (b) Created from existing text. (c) Create from existing text. Requires the members to be elected to terms as provided by Subsection (a) of this section beginning with the first election of members after the apportionment of the House that occurs pursuant to the 2000 federal decennial census. Requires the house members, until that election, to serve two-year terms as provided by this section as it existed on January 1, 1999. Provides that this subsection expires January 1, 2005. SECTION 2. Requires this proposed constitutional amendment to be submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 2, 1999. Sets forth required language for the ballot.