Bill Text: TX SB63 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Relating to the qualifications for and time that a person may serve in certain offices.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 2)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-02-18 - Co-author authorized [SB63 Detail]

Download: Texas-2015-SB63-Introduced.html

---

84R906 BEF-D
By: Huffines S.B. No. 63

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the qualifications for and time that a person may serve
in certain offices.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 301, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 301.0135 to read as follows:
Sec. 301.0135. QUALIFICATIONS FOR STANDING COMMITTEE
CHAIRS. (a) A member of the senate or house of representatives is
not eligible to be designated as chair of a standing committee if at
the time of designation the member has previously served as chair of
that standing committee for 72 or more calendar months and
regardless of whether the months the member served as chair were
concurrent.
(b) Service as chair of a standing committee before January
1, 2016, is not counted in determining whether a member is
disqualified from designation as chair of that standing committee
under this section.
SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 302, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 302.002 to read as follows:
Sec. 302.002. QUALIFICATIONS. (a) A member of the house of
representatives is not eligible to be elected as speaker unless at
the time of election the member has served at least one full
two-year term as a member of the house of representatives.
(b) A member of the house of representatives is not eligible
to be elected as speaker if at the time of election the member has
previously served as speaker for 72 or more calendar months,
regardless of whether the months the member served as speaker were
concurrent.
(c) Service as speaker before January 1, 2016, is not
counted in determining whether a member is disqualified from
election as speaker under Subsection (b).
SECTION 3. Chapter 601, Government Code, is amended by
adding Section 601.009 to read as follows:
Sec. 601.009. TERM LIMITS FOR CERTAIN ELECTIVE OFFICES. (a)
In this section, "elective office under this state" means every
state or district office or office of a political subdivision of
this state that is filled by popular election and for which the
qualifications for office or term of office is not provided by the
constitution of this state.
(b) A person is not eligible to be elected to a full or
partial term in any elective office under this state if on the date
the term begins the person has served in that office during any part
of each of eight or more calendar years.
(c) For purposes of this section, service in more than one
elective position on a governing body is considered service in the
same office. This subsection does not apply to ex officio service
on a governing body.
(d) Nothing in this section prohibits a person from
continuing to serve in an office covered by this section after the
end of a term as a holdover under Section 17, Article XVI, Texas
Constitution, until a successor is qualified.
(e) Service in office before January 1, 2016, does not count
for purposes of determining whether a person is disqualified from
election to office under this section.
(f) This section does not prohibit a political subdivision
of this state by charter, ordinance, order, or other appropriate
means from imposing a more restrictive limit on the time or number
of terms that a person may serve in an elective office.
(g) This section does not apply to an office for which
another law imposes a more restrictive limit on the time or number
of terms that a person may serve in the office.
SECTION 4. Chapter 651, Government Code, is amended by
adding Section 651.011 to read as follows:
Sec. 651.011. QUALIFICATIONS FOR CERTAIN APPOINTED STATE
OFFICERS. (a) This section applies to a state office:
(1) the duties of which include serving as the head of
a state agency;
(2) that is filled by appointment by the governor with
the advice and consent of the senate;
(3) for which the qualifications for office are not
provided by the constitution of this state; and
(4) for which the term of office is not provided by the
constitution of this state.
(b) A person is not eligible for appointment to an office to
which this section applies if at the time of appointment the person
has previously served in that office for a cumulative period of four
or more years.
(c) Nothing in this section prohibits a person from
continuing to serve in an office covered by this section after the
end of a term as a holdover under Section 17, Article XVI, Texas
Constitution, until a successor is qualified.
(d) Service in office before January 1, 2016, is not counted
in determining whether a person is disqualified from appointment to
office under this section.
(e) This section does not apply to an office for which
another law imposes a more restrictive limit on the time or number
of terms that a person may serve in the office.
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.