House Bill No. 312 amends the Government Code by adding Section 601.012, which establishes that only United States citizens are eligible to be appointed to or serve in public offices, including positions on governing bodies of commissions, boards, or other agencies, as well as advisory boards or task forces within the executive, legislative, or judicial branches of state government, or in political subdivisions of the state. However, this requirement does not apply to offices with exclusive qualification requirements set by federal or state constitutions.

The bill stipulates that this new citizenship requirement will apply to appointments made on or after September 1, 2025. Additionally, it mandates that any individual who is not a U.S. citizen and was appointed to a position subject to this new law before that date will have their term end on September 1, 2025, unless they obtain U.S. citizenship before that deadline. The bill will take effect immediately if it receives a two-thirds majority vote in both houses; otherwise, it will take effect on September 1, 2025.

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