Bill Text: TX HJR87 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Proposing a constitutional amendment requiring the payment of reparations to the next of kin of certain victims of the state's convict leasing system.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-11 - Referred to Appropriations [HJR87 Detail]

Download: Texas-2019-HJR87-Introduced.html

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86R13111 AAF-D
By: Reynolds H.J.R. No. 87

A JOINT RESOLUTION
proposing a constitutional amendment requiring the payment of
reparations to the next of kin of certain victims of the state's
convict leasing system.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Article I, Texas Constitution, is amended by
adding Section 30a to read as follows:
Sec. 30a. (a) In this section, "commission" means the Texas
Historical Commission or its successor in function.
(b) The commission, in consultation with any agency of the
state that the commission determines is necessary, shall identify
the next of kin, if any, of each of the 95 convict leasing victims
whose remains were discovered in 2018 at the site of the former
Imperial State Prison Farm in Sugar Land. The next of kin described
by this subsection are entitled to reparations to compensate for
the harm caused by the state's convict leasing system.
(c) The commission shall determine the amount of
reparations to which the next of kin described by Subsection (a) of
this section are entitled.
(d) The commission shall adopt a schedule of reparations
payments for the next of kin described by Subsection (a) of this
section. Each next of kin is entitled to an equal dollar amount of
the reparations.
(e) Reparations are payable from funds appropriated for
that purpose. Payment shall be made in the manner provided by law
under the general supervision of the commission.
SECTION 2. The following temporary provision is added to
the Texas Constitution:
TEMPORARY PROVISION. This temporary provision applies to the
constitutional amendment proposed by the 86th Legislature, Regular
Session, 2019, that requires the Texas Historical Commission to
make payments of reparations to the next of kin of certain victims
of the state's convict leasing system. On the date the commission
completes reparations payments to the next of kin:
(1) this temporary provision expires; and
(2) Section 30a, Article I, of this constitution
expires.
SECTION 3. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be
submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 5, 2019.
The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the
proposition: "The constitutional amendment requiring the payment
of reparations to the next of kin of certain victims of the state's
convict leasing system."