Texas Voters Approve 13 New Constitutional Amendments
News November 8, 2023
Texas voters approved 13 out of the 14 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution in the election yesterday, November 7, 2023. The legislature added the propositions to the ballot earlier this year.
The governor's proclamation is expected to follow shortly.
Which amendments have passed?
Here is the list of the propositions that passed. HJR and SJR refer to "House Joint Resolution" and "Senate Joint Resolution," respectively:
| Proposition | Joint Resolution | Description |
| 1 | HJR 126 | Proposing a constitutional amendment protecting the right to engage in farming, ranching, timber production, horticulture, and wildlife management. |
| 2 | SJR 64 | Proposing a constitutional amendment authorizing a local option exemption from ad valorem taxation by a county or municipality of all or part of the appraised value of real property used to operate a child-care facility. |
| 3 | HJR 132 | Proposing a constitutional amendment prohibiting the imposition of an individual net worth or wealth tax. |
| 4 | HJR 2 | Proposing a constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to establish a temporary limit on the maximum appraised value of real property other than a residence homestead for ad valorem tax purposes; to increase the amount of the exemption from ad valorem taxation by a school district applicable to residence homesteads; to adjust the amount of the limitation on school district ad valorem taxes imposed on the residence homesteads of the elderly or disabled to reflect increases in certain exemption amounts; to except certain appropriations to pay for ad valorem tax relief from the constitutional limitation on the rate of growth of appropriations; and to authorize the legislature to provide for a four-year term of office for a member of the governing body of certain appraisal entities. |
| 5 | HJR 3 | Proposing a constitutional amendment relating to the Texas University Fund, which provides funding to certain institutions of higher education to achieve national prominence as major research universities and drive the state economy. |
| 6 | SJR 75 | Proposing a constitutional amendment creating the Texas water fund to assist in financing water projects in this state. |
| 7 | SJR 93 | Proposing a constitutional amendment providing for the creation of the Texas energy fund to support the construction, maintenance, modernization, and operation of electric generating facilities. |
| 8 | HJR 125 | Proposing a constitutional amendment creating the broadband infrastructure fund to expand high-speed broadband access and assist in the financing of connectivity projects. |
| 9 | HJR 2 | Proposing a constitutional amendment authorizing the 88th Legislature to provide a cost-of-living adjustment to certain annuitants of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas. |
| 10 | SJR 87 | Proposing a constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation equipment or inventory held by a manufacturer of medical or biomedical products to protect the Texas healthcare network and strengthen our medical supply chain. |
| 11 | SJR 32 | Proposing a constitutional amendment relating to the authority of the legislature to permit conservation and reclamation districts in El Paso County to issue bonds supported by ad valorem taxes to fund the development and maintenance of parks and recreational facilities. |
| 12 | HJR 134 | Proposing a constitutional amendment to abolish the office of county treasurer of Galveston County. |
| 14 | SJR 74 | Proposing a constitutional amendment providing for the creation of the centennial parks conservation fund. |
Which amendments did not pass?
Here is the list of the propositions that did not pass:
| Proposition | Joint Resolution | Description |
| 13 | HJR 107 | Proposing a constitutional amendment to increase the mandatory age of retirement for state justices and judges. |
What do these amendments mean?
The articles below discuss the changes in more detail, including the pros-and-cons and the impact they are expected to have:
- Analyses of Proposed Constitutional Amendments by the Texas Legislative Council
- Here's how Texas voted on the 14 statewide propositions by the Texas Standard
- Texans approve most amendments, but reject raising retirement age for state justices and judges by ABC13
- Texas constitutional amendment results by the Texas Tribune
- Texas voters reject proposal to increase judges’ retirement ages by the Texas Tribune
How are amendments enacted?
The rules for amending the constitution are in Article 17 of the Texas Constitution. All changes must be approved by the general public.
Before the public can vote on an amendment, the legislators must agree to add the proposition to the ballot. They can do so by voting on a legislative document called a “resolution.” If the resolution passes by a ⅔ vote from both the House of Representatives and the Senate, the voters will have the chance to approve or reject each proposed amendment in the general election.
If more than 50% of the voters vote for the proposition, the amendment becomes law—generally when the results are officially confirmed. A resolution may state a different time for when the law takes effect.
Where can I find the full election results?
To see the full results of the election, visit the Secretary of State's website.
Additional Information
- Hey, Texplainer: Why do Texans have to vote on so many constitutional amendments? by the Texas Tribune
- The Legislative Process in Texas by the Texas Legislative Council
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