Texas Senate Bill SJR 28

Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

• Filed: 12/12/24

Caption

Proposing a constitutional amendment clarifying that a qualified voter in this state must be a United States citizen.

Summary

SJR 28 proposes a constitutional amendment to clarify that only United States citizens who are residents of Texas and otherwise not disqualified under the Constitution or law may be considered qualified voters in Texas elections. The resolution also preserves the existing requirement that a person must register before voting, while stating that registration is not itself a qualification of a voter for other constitutional purposes. If approved by the Legislature and then by Texas voters, the amendment would revise Article VI, Section 2(a) of the Texas Constitution to replace the phrase "Every person" with language expressly limiting qualified voters to U.S. citizens. The measure would be submitted to the electorate at the November 4, 2025 election, with the ballot language asking voters whether they support the constitutional amendment clarifying citizenship as a voting qualification.

Impact

The bill would directly affect the Texas Constitution by narrowing and clarifying the definition of a qualified voter for state elections. It would not create a new statutory voting system, but it would constitutionally confirm that U.S. citizenship is a prerequisite to voting in Texas, which could influence election administration, voter eligibility determinations, and any related laws or procedures governing registration and ballot access.

Sentiment

The available record shows no committee transcript, floor debate, or recorded votes, so there is no documented public discussion to gauge detailed sentiment. Based on the bill text and caption, the measure appears to be framed as a clarification of existing constitutional voting qualifications rather than a broader policy change, suggesting a straightforward, affirmative presentation by its author. However, without debate or vote history, the level of support or opposition cannot be determined from the provided materials.

Contention

No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes. In general, measures tying voting eligibility to citizenship can raise questions about election administration, proof of citizenship, voter registration procedures, and whether the amendment is merely clarifying existing law or substantively changing eligibility standards. Any disagreement would likely center on those issues, but the record here does not identify any particular legislator, witness, or stakeholder taking a position.