Texas Senate Bill SJR 3

Texas 2025 - 89th 2nd C.S.

• Filed: 8/15/25

Caption

Proposing a constitutional amendment to limit the time in which the legislature may enact or modify districts for the Texas Legislature or the United States House of Representatives.

Summary

SJR 3 proposes a constitutional amendment to restrict when the Texas Legislature may enact or change legislative and congressional district maps. For Texas House and Senate districts, the Legislature would generally be limited to redistricting only at the time required by the Texas Constitution. For U.S. House districts, map changes would generally be limited to the year the federal decennial census is released, or within 120 days after release if the census comes after September 1. The resolution also creates an exception allowing the Legislature to act outside those normal windows if a court or other authorized governmental body finds districts invalid or otherwise blocks elections in one or more districts. In that circumstance, the Legislature could redraw the affected districts within one year of the court or agency action, subject to the existing exclusive jurisdiction of the Legislative Redistricting Board over certain legislative districts.

Impact

If approved by voters, the measure would amend Article III of the Texas Constitution by adding a new Section 28A and would constrain the Legislature’s authority to redraw state legislative and congressional districts except during specified redistricting periods or after a legal invalidation of districts. It would not itself redraw any districts, but it would change the timing rules governing future apportionment legislation and could limit mid-decade or otherwise off-cycle redistricting efforts.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the measure appears to be framed as a procedural reform aimed at limiting opportunistic redistricting and creating clearer timing rules. The resolution’s structure suggests support for predictability and stability in districting, while preserving flexibility for court-ordered fixes. No formal opposition or recorded controversy is available in the provided context.

Contention

The main point of contention likely concerns whether the Legislature should be barred from redrawing districts outside the census-driven cycle, especially in response to political or legal developments that do not rise to the level of a court invalidation. Supporters would likely favor limiting partisan gerrymandering and frequent map changes, while critics may argue the amendment could reduce legislative flexibility and complicate responses to population shifts, litigation, or federal election-law issues. The exception for court or agency action partially addresses those concerns, but the one-year limit and the carveout for the Legislative Redistricting Board could still be debated.