Doing Away with Touch Spells and Rays

After receiving some comments from EN World, I have been thinking about what to do with touch spells. I really don't like touch spells. They require touch AC, which is a mechanic I believe is completely unnecessary. So if you are like me and think touch AC needs to go and want to unify spell mechanics, then the challenge is coming up with a simple system to convert spells that doesn't require a lot of thought and can be done on the fly without really requiring a re-write of the entire system.

Ideally, I want a situation where spells only require saving throws as a mechanic for avoiding damage or effects so casters never need to worry about calculating their to-hit bonus with touch spells and rays. There has to be a sort of balance there though. So I am going to float out a trial balloon of an idea and see what people think. I want to get feedback on this system because I really have no idea how it would work out in-game.

Here is the idea in a nutshell: Touch spells automatically hit so long as there is line of sight and the target is within range. If the spells already have a saving throw mechanic tied to them, then that saving throw mechanic remains and no other change is needed. If the spell has no saving throw mechanic, then the following rule applies: If a spell is a ray and has no saving throw tied to it, then it allows a saving throw for half damage (or a partial effect). If the spell is a melee touch attack, then the target merely needs to be within melee reach. If the melee touch spell already has a saving throw tied in the saving throw remains and nothing else is needed. If the melee touch spell has no saving throw tied in, it allows a saving throw for half damage or partial effect. Here is an example of all 1st-level spells from the Player's Handbook 3.5 and how it would work.

Bard Spells
Cure Light Wounds: no touch attack required; automatically hits and allows a Will save for half damage against undead.

Cleric Spells
Cure Light Wounds: see Bard Spells.
Inflict Light Wounds: no touch attack required; automatically hits and allows a Will save for half damage against living targets.
Protection from Chaos/Evil/Good/Law: no touch attack required (against hostile targets); allows a Will save to negate as usual.

Druid Spells
Cure Light Wounds: see Bard Spells.

Paladin Spells
Cure Light Wounds: see Bard Spells.
Protection from Chaos/Evil: see Cleric Spells.

Sorcerer/Wizard Spells
Protection from Chaos/Evil/Good/Law: see Cleric Spells.
Shocking Grasp: no touch attack required; automatically hits and allows a Reflex save for half damage; targets in metal armor receive a -3 penalty to save.
Chill Touch: no touch attack required; automatically hits and allows a Fortitude save to negate the Strength damage for living targets; undead receive a Will save to negate.
Ray of Enfeeblement: no touch attack required; automatically hits and allows a Fortitude save for half Strength penalty.

So obviously this is just a sampling, but I think it is fairly straightforward. A couple spells are a tad more complicated so I will also address those and how they would be addressed.

Disintegrate: no touch attack required; automatically hits and allows a Fortitude save for 5d6 damage.
Dimensional Anchor: no touch attack required; automatically hits and allows a Will save to negate.

Obviously there is a little bit of room for interpretation in some of these, but I think the majority are fairly simple. But the rule of thumb is that a ray or touch attack with no saving throw required would require a saving throw for half damage if the spell deals damage and partial effect or negate depending on how powerful you feel the spell is. The saving throw depends on school of magic. For evocation and divination, Reflex is required. For conjuration, necromancy, and transmutation, Fortitude is required. For abjuration, illusion and enchantment, Will is required. You might go and make all ray spells Reflex saves, but that could complicate matters as to which rule takes precedence.

Bear in mind this is just a prototype idea. I welcome all constructive criticism.