Texas 2013 83rd Regular

Texas House Bill HB883 Introduced / Bill

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                    83R3848 KLA-D
 By: Creighton H.B. No. 883


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to the franchise tax, including the $1 million total
 revenue exemption, and alternative revenue sources and spending
 priorities for this state; repealing the franchise tax.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  This Act may be cited as the Revenue Reform Act
 of 2013.
 SECTION 2.  (a) The comptroller of public accounts shall
 conduct a comprehensive study that:
 (1)  analyzes and compares:
 (A)  the feasibility of implementing alternative
 methods to the franchise tax imposed under Chapter 171, Tax Code, by
 which revenue may be generated to address the needs of this state;
 and
 (B)  the effectiveness of each of those methods in
 generating sufficient revenue to address those needs; and
 (2)  prioritizes the revenue needs of this state and
 identifies potential reductions in expenditures by this state.
 (b)  The comptroller of public accounts shall consider the
 funding priorities and requirements established by the Texas
 Constitution in prioritizing the revenue needs of this state as
 required by Subsection (a)(2) of this section.
 (c)  The study conducted under Subsection (a) of this section
 must include an analysis and comparison of the following
 revenue-generating methods:
 (1)  imposing a transaction tax in this state;
 (2)  imposing a value-added tax in this state;
 (3)  eliminating exemptions from the sales and use tax
 imposed under Chapter 151, Tax Code;
 (4)  increasing the rate of the sales and use tax
 imposed under Chapter 151, Tax Code;
 (5)  imposing the sales and use tax under Chapter 151,
 Tax Code, according to rate brackets, the applications of which
 vary according to the sales price of a taxable item;
 (6)  imposing a business sales tax in this state in
 addition to the sales and use tax imposed under Chapter 151, Tax
 Code; and
 (7)  any other method the comptroller of public
 accounts considers potentially effective in addressing the revenue
 needs of this state.
 (d)  Not later than November 1, 2014, the comptroller of
 public accounts shall submit a report to the legislature regarding
 the results of the study conducted under this section. The report
 must:
 (1)  identify one or more revenue-generating methods
 the comptroller determines would be most effective in meeting the
 revenue needs of this state;
 (2)  include a description of any legislation necessary
 to implement the methods identified under Subdivision (1) of this
 subsection; and
 (3)  propose specific reductions in expenditures by
 this state and any legislation necessary to implement those
 reductions.
 SECTION 3.  Section 1(c), Chapter 286 (H.B. 4765), Acts of
 the 81st Legislature, Regular Session, 2009, as amended by Section
 37.01, Chapter 4 (S.B. 1), Acts of the 82nd Legislature, 1st Called
 Session, 2011, is repealed.
 SECTION 4.  Section 2, Chapter 286 (H.B. 4765), Acts of the
 81st Legislature, Regular Session, 2009, as amended by Section
 37.02, Chapter 4 (S.B. 1), Acts of the 82nd Legislature, 1st Called
 Session, 2011, and which amended former Subsection (d), Section
 171.002, Tax Code, is repealed.
 SECTION 5.  Section 3, Chapter 286 (H.B. 4765), Acts of the
 81st Legislature, Regular Session, 2009, as amended by Section
 37.03, Chapter 4 (S.B. 1), Acts of the 82nd Legislature, 1st Called
 Session, 2011, and which amended former Subsection (a), Section
 171.0021, Tax Code, is repealed.
 SECTION 6.  Section 171.006(b), Tax Code, is amended to read
 as follows:
 (b)  Beginning in 2010, on January 1 of each even-numbered
 year, the amounts prescribed by Sections 171.002(d)(2)[,
 171.0021,] and 171.1013(c) are increased or decreased by an amount
 equal to the amount prescribed by those sections on December 31 of
 the preceding year multiplied by the percentage increase or
 decrease during the preceding state fiscal biennium in the consumer
 price index and rounded to the nearest $10,000.
 SECTION 7.  Sections 171.0021 and 171.1016(d), Tax Code, are
 repealed.
 SECTION 8.  Effective January 1, 2018, Chapter 171, Tax
 Code, is repealed.
 SECTION 9.  Except as otherwise provided by this Act, this
 Act takes effect September 1, 2013.