Texas voters to decide on constitutional amendment clarifying that only U.S. citizens can vote

Final week to pass bills for Texas Legislature

The session ends on June 2nd so the clock is ticking. FOX 7 Austin's Rudy Koski has more on what are called the washing days, when some bills are cleaned up and others get hung up to dry.

AUSTIN - Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed new legislation on Monday that he says makes it "crystal clear" that only U.S. citizens are allowed to vote in Texas elections.

The resolution will go up for a vote by Texas citizens for final approval in November.

Senate Joint Resolution 37

Dig deeper:

Senate Joint Resolution 37, filed by Texas Senator Brian Birdwell, would add language to the Texas Constitution stating that "persons who are not citizens of the United States" are not allowed to vote.

Governor Abbott posted a video on social media shortly after signing the resolution on Monday.

The bill was approved by the state senate in April and the House in May.

Big picture view:

In 1996, Congress passed a law blocking non-citizens from voting in federal elections, but did not address state or local elections.

Texas voters will not be alone in deciding on this issue. Voters in Arkansas, Kansas and South Dakota will have similar measures on their ballots.