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Legislative Reference Library of Texas
your partner in legislative research

Upcoming Constitutional Amendments Election - Nov. 5

Oct 28

posted by TexasLRL in Legislation

On November 5, 2013, voters will have a chance to consider nine constitutional amendments proposed by the 83rd Legislature. The proposed amendments cover a wide range of topics, including taxes, reverse mortgages, and the creation of a State Water Implementation Fund.
 
For background and analysis of the ballot propositions, see the House Research Organization's Constitutional Amendments Proposed for Nov. 2013 Ballot, and the Texas Legislative Council's Analyses of Proposed Constitutional Amendments.
 
Do you have questions about election procedures? Visit the Texas Secretary of State's http://votetexas.gov/ website for answers.
 
The Texas Constitution is one of the longest in the nation and it's still growing. The Constitution is changed through amendments, which are proposed by the Texas Legislature and accepted or rejected by the voters.
 
Since the current Constitution was adopted in 1876, 474 amendments have been accepted and 179 have been defeated.
 
Amendments Proposed for the November 5, 2013 ballot by the 83rd Legislature, Regular Session
1
The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of all or part of the market value of the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a member of the armed services of the United States who is killed in action.
  
2
The constitutional amendment eliminating an obsolete requirement for a State Medical Education Board and a State Medical Education Fund, neither of which is operational.
  
3
The constitutional amendment to authorize a political subdivision of this state to extend the number of days that aircraft parts that are exempt from ad valorem taxation due to their location in this state for a temporary period may be located in this state for purposes of qualifying for the tax exemption.
  
4
The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of part of the market value of the residence homestead of a partially disabled veteran or the surviving spouse of a partially disabled veteran if the residence homestead was donated to the disabled veteran by a charitable organization.
  
5
The constitutional amendment to authorize the making of a reverse mortgage loan for the purchase of homestead property and to amend lender disclosures and other requirements in connection with a reverse mortgage loan.
  
6
The constitutional amendment providing for the creation of the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas and the State Water Implementation Revenue Fund for Texas to assist in the financing of priority projects in the state water plan to ensure the availability of adequate water resources.
  
7
The constitutional amendment authorizing a home-rule municipality to provide in its charter the procedure to fill a vacancy on its governing body for which the unexpired term is 12 months or less.
  
and
8
The constitutional amendment repealing Section 7, Article IX, Texas Constitution, which relates to the creation of a hospital district in Hidalgo County.
  
9
The constitutional amendment relating to expanding the types of sanctions that may be assessed against a judge or justice following a formal proceeding instituted by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct.
  
 

This entry was posted on October 28, 2013 at 9:32 AM and has received 3143 views. Print this entry.

Week in Review, October 24th

Oct 24

posted by TexasLRL in Week in review

In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.
  • Consider that a majority of public school children in 17 states are low income. (Southern Education Foundation, October 2013)
  • See a state-by-state map of underage drinking laws. (Alcohol Policy Information System, accessed October 2013)
  • Read about the federal government's information-gathering powers. (Brennan Center for Justice, ©2013)
  • Review background information on hydraulic fracturing. (Council on Foreign Relations, October 15, 2013)

This entry was posted on October 24, 2013 at 3:15 PM and has received 635 views. Print this entry.

Week in Review, October 17th

Oct 17

posted by TexasLRL in Week in review

In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.
  • Read a brief and a full report about the public cost of low-wage jobs in the fast food industry. (National Employment Law Project, October 2013 / UC Berkeley Labor Center, October 15, 2013)
  • Consider the labor market for young adults and seniors. (Georgetown Public Policy Institute, September 30, 2013)
  • Compare states' business tax climates. (Tax Foundation, October 9, 2013)
  • Explore the epidemic of prescription drug abuse. (Trust for America's Health, October 2013)

This entry was posted on October 17, 2013 at 3:15 PM and has received 547 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings - Week of October 21, 2013

Oct 15

posted by TexasLRL in 83rd Session, Interim hearings

Today's Committee Meetings on the LRL website is a calendar of interim committee hearings with links to agendas. Below are resources related to upcoming Interim Hearings.

 

October 22nd-23rd

House Select Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations

Topic: Invited testimony. Pursuant to Rule 4, Section 12, the Committee "may meet in executive session for the limited purpose of examining a witness or deliberating, considering, or debating a decision...."

 

After meeting in executive session the committee may consider and take action regarding matters deliberated in closed session, including planning, scheduling, courses of action, and ongoing committee business.

This entry was posted on October 15, 2013 at 4:14 PM and has received 856 views. Print this entry.

Week in Review, October 10th

Oct 10

posted by TexasLRL in Week in review

In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.
  • Explore the domestic use of unmanned aircraft systems. (U.S. Department of Justice, September 2013)
  • Consider how a small percentage of U.S. counties that use the death penalty affect the majority of counties that do not use it. (Death Penalty Information Center, October 2013)
  • See who stays on the job and who does not during a federal government shutdown. (The New York Times, September 27, 2013)
  • Try resources for consumers related to the Affordable Care Act. (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2013)
 

This entry was posted on October 10, 2013 at 3:15 PM and has received 751 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings - Weeks of October 7 and 14, 2013

Oct 7

posted by TexasLRL in 83rd Session, Interim hearings

 Today's Committee Meetings on the LRL website is a calendar of interim committee hearings with links to agendas. Below are resources related to upcoming Interim Hearings.

 

October 9th

Senate Select Committee on Transportation Funding

Topic: Impact of increased energy sector activities on state roads

 

October 15th

Senate Committee on Business & Commerce

Topic: Work plan for 83rd Legislative Interim

Topic: Quarterly updates from the Texas Department of Insurance, the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas

 

 

This entry was posted on October 7, 2013 at 8:46 AM and has received 976 views. Print this entry.

Week in Review, October 3rd

Oct 3

posted by TexasLRL in Week in review

In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.

This entry was posted on October 3, 2013 at 3:15 PM and has received 578 views. Print this entry.

During the Month of October - Capitol Spirits on Pinterest

Oct 1

posted by TexasLRL in Texas history

During the month of October, the library will feature its Capitol Spirits Pinterest board of ghostly hauntings and mysterious sightings at the Texas Capitol and the surrounding area. Last year, readers were spooked by the tale of the lady in red, seen wandering the third floor of the Capitol building, and the story of the mystery wraith, who haunted the Capitol grounds for several days in June 1921. See our other ghost stories and follow our new ones by clicking below.
 
 
 

This entry was posted on October 1, 2013 at 8:54 AM and has received 1479 views. Print this entry.

Week in Review, September 26th

Sep 26

posted by TexasLRL in Week in review

In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.
  • Compare Health Insurance Marketplace premiums state by state. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, September 25, 2013)
  • Explore capital punishment in Texas. (American Bar Association, September 2013)
  • Be wary of look-alike online health insurance exchanges. (Kaiser Health News, September 12, 2013)
  • Read about the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on the Red River Compact case. (Council of State Governments, August 26, 2013)

This entry was posted on September 26, 2013 at 3:15 PM and has received 574 views. Print this entry.

Legal Citations to Legislation

Sep 25

posted by TexasLRL in Legislation

The Greenbook: Texas Rules of Form After a legislative session, the library is often asked about legal citations to legislation. The following style formats are from The Greenbook: Texas Rules of Form, 12th edition, by the Texas Law Review. Please note that a different citation method is available in the Texas Legislative Council Drafting Manual.

 

Session Laws (rule 10.3):
Citations to session laws may be used if the statute has not yet appeared in the Vernon’s Texas Civil Statutes Annotated or Vernon’s Texas Codes Annotated, or when citing for the historical fact of enactment. There are five elements of a session law citation:
  1. Name of the statute: use the official short title or popular name, if available. Otherwise use “Act of [date of enactment].” The Greenbook specifies that “The date of enactment is the date of the final relevant legislative action on the bill, not the date of executive approval.”
  2. Legislature and session of enactment: use 83d for 83rd Legislature, use R.S. for Regular Session, use C.S. for Called Sessions and number as: 1st C.S., 2d C.S., 3d C.S.
  3. Chapter and section number of the session law: use lower case, i.e., "ch.” A session law may have many section numbers, which may be cited individually with a "§" symbol, or "§§" for more than one section.
  4. General and Special Laws of the State of Texas year and page number (or the Vernon’s Texas Session Law Service pamphlets prior to the publication of bound volumes).
  5. Future location in the code.
Examples:
 
Higher Education Outcomes-Based Funding Act, 82d Leg., R.S., ch. 1120, 2011 Tex. Gen. Laws 2882.
 
Act of May 26, 2013, 83d Leg., R.S., ch. 211, § 9, 2013 Tex. Sess. Law Serv. 903 (West) (to be codified at Tex. Educ. Code § 28.00222).
 
Act of May 27, 2011, 82d Leg., R.S., ch. 1087, §§ 1, 5, 2011 Tex. Gen. Laws 2822, 2823-24.
 
Unenacted Bills (rule 14.1.1):
 
Tex. S.B. 315, 83d Leg., R.S. (2013).
 
Tex. H.B. 8, 83d Leg., 2d C.S. (2013).
 
Concurrent and Joint Resolutions (rule 14.1.2):
 
Tex. S. Con. Res. 12, 83d Leg., R.S. (2013).
 
Tex. H.R. Con. Res. 33, 83d Leg., R.S. (2013).
 
Tex. H.R.J. Res. 133, 83d Leg., R.S. (2013).
 
Tex. S.J. Res. 1, 83d Leg., R.S. (2013).
 
When documenting legislative history, include citation to the General and Special Laws of the State of Texas:
 
         Tex. S.J. Res. 14, 68th R.S., 1983 Tex. Gen. Laws 6683 (Veterans' Land Program and Veterans' Housing Assistance Program).
 
 
 
 

This entry was posted on September 25, 2013 at 11:49 AM and has received 35822 views. Print this entry.

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