Bill Caption

Proposing a constitutional amendment to provide for the governor's and lieutenant governor's terms of office to begin at 10 a.m. on the day preceding the day the regular legislative session convenes.

Fiscal Notes

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated, other than the cost of publication. The cost to the state for publication of the resolution is $118,681.

No significant fiscal implication to local government.

Bill Analysis

SJR 66 would propose an amendment to the constitution to amend Section 4, Article IV of Texas Constitution to provide that the governor elected in 2018 will begin his or her term on 10 A.M. on the day before the day that the Texas legislature convenes. SJR 66 would amend Section 16(a), Article IV of Texas Constitution to provide that the lieutenant governor elected in 2018 will begin his or her term on 10 A.M. on the day before the day that the Texas legislature convenes. The proposed constitutional amendment would be submitted to the voters at an election held November 3, 2015.

Vote Recommendation Notes

While we understand the intentions of the bill, there are logistical obstacles that would potentially make it difficult to implement. The logistics of planning the governor and lieutenant governor's inauguration already occur on a compressed timetable. Removing two weeks will make it more difficult to plan. Regardless, we are neutral on SJR 66.