On November 5, 2019, voters will have a chance to consider ten constitutional amendments proposed by the 86th Legislature. The proposed amendments cover a wide range of topics, including taxation, funding for various state agencies, a flood infrastructure fund, and more.
For background and analysis of the ballot propositions, see the House Research Organization's Constitutional Amendments Proposed for November 2019 Ballot, and the Texas Legislative Council's Analyses of Proposed Constitutional Amendments.
The Texas Constitution is one of the longest in the nation, at an estimated 86,936 words (The Book of the States, vol. 49). The Constitution is changed through amendments, which are proposed by the Texas Legislature and accepted or rejected by the voters. Since the current Texas Constitution was adopted in 1876, 498 amendments have been passed.
Amendments Proposed for the November 5, 2019 ballot by the 86th Legislature
| HJR 72 | Prop. 1 | The constitutional amendment permitting a person to hold more than one office as a municipal judge at the same time. | |
| SJR 79 | Prop. 2 | The constitutional amendment providing for the issuance of additional general obligation bonds by the Texas Water Development Board in an amount not to exceed $200 million to provide financial assistance for the development of certain projects in economically distressed areas. | |
| HJR 34 | Prop. 3 | The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for a temporary exemption from ad valorem taxation of a portion of the appraised value of certain property damaged by a disaster. | |
| HJR 38 | Prop. 4 | The constitutional amendment prohibiting the imposition of an individual income tax, including a tax on an individual’s share of partnership and unincorporated association income. | |
| SJR 24 | Prop. 5 | The constitutional amendment dedicating the revenue received from the existing state sales and use taxes that are imposed on sporting goods to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Historical Commission to protect Texas’ natural areas, water quality, and history by acquiring, managing,and improving state and local parks and historic sites while not increasing the rate of the state sales and use taxes. | |
| HJR 12 | Prop. 6 | The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to increase by $3 billion the maximum bond amount authorized for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. | |
| HJR 151 | Prop. 7 | The constitutional amendment allowing increase distributions to the available school fund. | |
| HJR 4 | Prop. 8 | The constitutional amendment providing for the creation of the flood infrastructure fund to assist in the financing of drainage, flood mitigation, and flood control projects. | |
| HJR 95 | Prop. 9 | The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation precious metal held in a precious metal depository located in this state. | |
| SJR 32 | Prop. 10 | The constitutional amendment to allow the transfer of a law enforcement animal to a qualified caretaker in certain circumstances. |
