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Texas Proposition 15, Unalterable Retirement Benefits (September 2003)
Contents |
| Texas Constitution |
|---|
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| Articles |
| Preamble • 1 • 2 Article 3 (1-43) • Article 3 (44-49) • Article 3 (50-67) 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 |
Texas Proposition 15, also known as the Prohibition on Reducing Benefits under Local Retirement Systems Act, was on the September 13, 2003 special election ballot in Texas as a legislatively-referred constitutional amendment, where it was approved.
HJR 54/Proposition 15 prohibits a local retirement system and the political subdivision that finances the retirement system from reducing or otherwise impairing certain accrued benefits under the local retirement system.
Election results
| Proposition 15 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 Yes | 964,515 | 71.5% | ||
| No | 383,710 | 28.5% | ||
Text of measure
The short ballot summary voters saw on their ballot read: "The constitutional amendment providing that certain benefits under certain local public retirement systems may not be reduced or impaired."[1]
Constitutional changes
The successful passage of Proposition 15 added §66 to Article 16 of the Texas Constitution.
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing direct democracy in Texas
As laid out in Article 17 of the Texas Constitution, in order for a proposed constitutional amendment to be placed on the ballot, the Texas State Legislature must propose the amendment in a joint resolution of both the Texas State Senate and the Texas House of Representatives. The joint resolution can originate in either the House or the Senate. The resolution must be adopted by a vote of at least two-thirds of the membership of each house of the legislature. That amounts to a minimum of 100 votes in the House of Representatives and 21 votes in the Senate.
See also
External links
- Proposition 15 Election Results
- Analysis of Proposition 15
- Constitutional amendments on the September 13, 2003 Texas ballot
