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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the authority of general-law municipalities to impose |
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term limits on the members of their governing bodies. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 21, Local Government Code, |
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is amended by adding Section 21.006 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 21.006. TERM LIMITS FOR GOVERNING BODY OF GENERAL-LAW |
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MUNICIPALITY. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Governing body" includes the presiding officer of |
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the governing body. |
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(2) "Municipal term limit" means a limit on the number |
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of terms of service a member of the governing body of a municipality |
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may serve on the governing body. |
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(b) The governing body of a general-law municipality may |
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order an election to impose, amend, or repeal municipal term |
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limits. |
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(c) The ballot at an election for imposing municipal term |
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limits must be printed to permit voting for or against the |
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proposition: "Imposing term limits consisting of (insert number of |
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terms and length of terms) on a person's service on the governing |
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body of (insert name of municipality)." If a majority of the votes |
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received at the election favor the proposition, the number of terms |
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a person may serve on the governing body is limited as provided in |
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the proposition. |
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(d) The ballot at an election for amending municipal term |
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limits must be printed to permit voting for or against the |
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proposition: "Amending term limits to (insert "increase" or |
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"decrease") the number of terms a person may serve on the governing |
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body of (insert name of municipality) by providing for term limits |
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consisting of (insert number of terms and length of terms) on the |
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person's service on the governing body." If a majority of the votes |
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received at the election favor the proposition, the number of terms |
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a person may serve on the governing body is limited as amended. |
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(e) The ballot at an election for repealing municipal term |
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limits must be printed to permit voting for or against the |
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proposition: "Repealing term limits for a person's service on the |
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governing body of (insert name of municipality)." If a majority of |
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the votes received at the election favor the proposition, the |
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municipal term limits are repealed. |
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(f) If less than a majority of the votes received at an |
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election under Subsection (d) or (e) favor the applicable |
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proposition, municipal term limits that existed before the election |
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are not affected. |
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(g) A municipal term limit imposed or amended by an election |
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held under this section does not apply to a term that a member of the |
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governing body is serving or was elected or appointed to serve on or |
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before the date the election was held. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |