Proposing a constitutional amendment requiring full payment of civil penalties imposed by the Texas Ethics Commission to be eligible to hold certain public elective offices.

89(R) HJR 201 - House Committee Report version - Bill Text

89R25485 MPF-F

By: Zwiener

H.J.R. No. 201

Substitute the following for H.J.R. No. 201:

By: King

C.S.H.J.R. No. 201

A JOINT RESOLUTION

proposing a constitutional amendment requiring full payment of

civil penalties imposed by the Texas Ethics Commission to be

eligible to hold certain public elective offices.

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 6, Article III, Texas Constitution, is

amended to read as follows:

Sec. 6.
To be eligible to be a candidate for, or elected or

appointed to, the office of
[
No person shall be a
] Senator,
a person

must:

(1)
[
unless he
] be a citizen of the United States
;

(2) be
, [
and,
] at the time of
the person's
[
his
]

election
or appointment,
a qualified voter of this State
;

(3)
[
, and shall
] have been a resident of this State
for

the
five years [
next
] preceding
the
[
his
] election
or appointment;

(4) have been
[
, and the last year thereof
] a resident

of the district for which
the person would serve as a Senator for

the year preceding the election or appointment;

(5) be at least 26
[
he shall be chosen, and shall have

attained the age of twenty-six
] years
of age; and

(6)

have paid in full any civil penalty imposed by the

Texas Ethics Commission for which the person is liable before the

following date:

(A)

for a candidate for an office, the first day

of the regular filing period for a candidate's application for a

place on the ballot; or

(B)

for an appointee to an office, the date of

appointment
.

SECTION 2. Section 7, Article III, Texas Constitution, is

amended to read as follows:

Sec. 7.
To be eligible to be a candidate for, or elected or

appointed to, the office of
[
No person shall be a
] Representative,
a

person must:

(1)
[
unless he
] be a citizen of the United States
;

(2) be
, [
and,
] at the time of
the person's
[
his
]

election
or appointment
, a qualified voter of this State
;

(3)
[
, and shall
] have been a resident of this State
for

the
two years [
next
] preceding
the
[
his
] election
or appointment;

(4) have been
[
, the last year thereof
] a resident of

the district for which
the person would serve as a Representative

for the year preceding the election or appointment;

(5) be at least 21
[
he shall be chosen, and shall have

attained the age of twenty-one
] years
of age; and

(6)

have paid in full any civil penalty imposed by the

Texas Ethics Commission for which the person is liable before the

following date:

(A)

for a candidate for an office, the first day

of the regular filing period for a candidate's application for a

place on the ballot; or

(B)

for an appointee to an office, the date of

appointment
.

SECTION 3. Section 4, Article IV, Texas Constitution, is

amended to read as follows:

Sec. 4. The Governor elected at the general election [
in

1974, and thereafter,
] shall be installed on the first Tuesday

after the organization of the Legislature, or as soon thereafter as

practicable, and shall hold
that
[
his
] office for the term of four

years, or until
the Governor's
[
his
] successor shall be duly

installed.
To be eligible to be a candidate for or elected to the

office of Governor, a person must:

(1)
[
He shall
] be at least thirty years of age
;

(2) be
[
,
] a citizen of the United States
;

(3) have been a resident of
[
, and shall have resided

in
] this State
for the
[
at least
] five years immediately preceding

the
[
his
] election
; and

(4)

have paid in full any civil penalty imposed by the

Texas Ethics Commission for which the person is liable before the

first day of the regular filing period for a candidate's

application for a place on the ballot
.

SECTION 4. Section 2(b), Article V, Texas Constitution, is

amended to read as follows:

(b)
To
[
No person shall
] be eligible to
be a candidate for,

or elected or appointed to,
[
serve in
] the office of Chief Justice

or Justice of the Supreme Court
, a
[
unless the
] person
must
:

(1)
be
[
is
] licensed to practice law in the State of

Texas;

(2)
be
[
is
], at the time of
the person's
election
or

appointment
, a citizen of the United States and a resident of the

State of Texas;

(3)
be at least 35
[
has attained the age of

thirty-five
] years
of age
;

(4)
have
[
has
] been either:

(A) a practicing lawyer licensed in the State of

Texas for at least ten years; or

(B) a practicing lawyer licensed in the State of

Texas and judge of a state court or county court established by the

Legislature by statute for a combined total of at least ten years;

[
and
]

(5) during the time required by Subdivision (4) of

this subsection
, have
[
has
] not had the person's license to

practice law revoked, suspended, or subject to a probated

suspension
; and

(6)

have paid in full any civil penalty imposed by the

Texas Ethics Commission for which the person is liable before the

following date:

(A)

for a candidate for an office, the first day

of the regular filing period for a candidate's application for a

place on the ballot; or

(B)

for an appointee to an office, the date of

appointment
.

SECTION 5. Section 7(b), Article V, Texas Constitution, is

amended to read as follows:

(b) Each district judge shall be elected by the qualified

voters at a General Election. To be eligible for appointment or

election as a district judge, a person must:

(1) be a citizen of the United States and a resident of

this State;

(2) be licensed to practice law in this State;

(3) have been a practicing lawyer or a Judge of a Court

in this State, or both combined, for eight years next preceding the

judge's election, during which time the judge's license to practice

law has not been revoked, suspended, or subject to a probated

suspension;

(4) have resided in the district in which the judge was

elected for two years next preceding the election; [
and
]

(5) reside in the district during the judge's term of

office
; and

(6)

have paid in full any civil penalty imposed by the

Texas Ethics Commission for which the person is liable before the

following date:

(A)

for a candidate for an office, the first day

of the regular filing period for a candidate's application for a

place on the ballot; or

(B)

for an appointee to an office, the date of

appointment
.

SECTION 6. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be

submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 4, 2025.

The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the

proposition: "The constitutional amendment requiring full payment

of civil penalties imposed by the Texas Ethics Commission to be

eligible to hold certain public elective offices."