Bill Text: TX HJR160 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Proposing a constitutional amendment requiring the governor to call the legislature into special session following certain disaster or emergency declarations and specifying the powers of the legislature in those special sessions.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-29 - Referred to State Affairs [HJR160 Detail]

Download: Texas-2021-HJR160-Introduced.html
  87R3754 JRJ-D
 
  By: Slawson H.J.R. No. 160
 
 
 
A JOINT RESOLUTION
  proposing a constitutional amendment requiring the governor to call
  the legislature into special session following certain disaster or
  emergency declarations and specifying the powers of the legislature
  in those special sessions.
         BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 8, Article IV, Texas Constitution, is
  amended by adding Subsections (c) and (d) to read as follows:
         (c)  The Governor shall convene the Legislature in special
  session for the purposes described by Subsection (d):
               (1)  if a state of disaster or emergency declared by the
  Governor continues for more than 21 days; or
               (2)  on receipt of a petition from any member of the
  Legislature requesting legislative review of a state of disaster or
  emergency declared by the Governor if the petition is signed by at
  least two-thirds of the members of the house of representatives and
  at least two-thirds of the members of the senate.
         (d)  In a special session convened under Subsection (c), the
  Legislature may:
               (1)  review an order, proclamation, or other instrument
  issued by the Governor during the 90 days before the special session
  begins:
                     (A)  declaring a state of disaster or emergency in
  this state; or
                     (B)  in response to a state of disaster or
  emergency in this state declared by any federal, state, or local
  official or entity;
               (2)  terminate or modify an order, proclamation, or
  other instrument described by Subdivision (1) by passage of a
  resolution approved by majority vote of the members present in each
  house of the Legislature, which is not subject to Section 15,
  Article IV;
               (3)  respond to the state of disaster or emergency,
  including by:
                     (A)  passing laws and resolutions the Legislature
  determines are related to the state of disaster or emergency; and
                     (B)  exercising the powers reserved to the
  Legislature under Section 28, Article I; and
               (4)  consider any other subjects stated in the
  Governor's proclamation convening the Legislature.
         SECTION 2.  This proposed constitutional amendment shall be
  submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 2, 2021.
  The ballot shall be printed to provide for voting for or against the
  proposition: "The constitutional amendment requiring the governor
  to call the legislature into special session following certain
  disaster or emergency declarations and specifying the powers of the
  legislature in those special sessions."
feedback