Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB531 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R1333 JJT-F
2	2	By: Bonnen of Galveston H.B. No. 531
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the constitutional limit on the rate of growth of
8	8	appropriations.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Sections 316.001 and 316.002, Government Code,
11	11	are amended to read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 316.001. LIMIT. (a) The rate of growth of
13	13	appropriations in a state fiscal biennium from state tax revenues
14	14	not dedicated by the constitution may not exceed a rate determined
15	15	by adding the estimated rate of the increase or decrease in the
16	16	state's population during the preceding state fiscal biennium and
17	17	the estimated rate of monetary inflation or deflation in this state
18	18	during that preceding biennium [the estimated rate of growth of the
19	19	state's economy].
20	20	(b) If the sum of the estimated rates described by
21	21	Subsection (a) is a negative number, the amount of appropriations
22	22	authorized for the next state fiscal biennium from state tax
23	23	revenues not dedicated by the constitution must decrease as
24	24	prescribed by this subchapter.
25	25	Sec. 316.002. DUTIES OF LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD. (a)
26	26	Before the Legislative Budget Board submits the budget for the next
27	27	state fiscal biennium as prescribed by Section 322.008(c), the
28	28	board shall establish:
29	29	(1) the maximum allowable rate of growth of
30	30	appropriations between the current state fiscal biennium and the
31	31	next state fiscal biennium, in accordance with Section 22, Article
32	32	VIII, Texas Constitution, expressed as a percentage, by adding the
33	33	following estimated rates, as determined by the board:
34	34	(A) the estimated rate of change of the state's
35	35	population during the current state fiscal biennium, expressed as a
36	36	percentage; and
37	37	(B) the estimated rate of monetary inflation or
38	38	deflation in this state during the current state fiscal [estimated
39	39	rate of growth of the state's economy from the current biennium to
40	40	the next] biennium, expressed as a percentage;
41	41	(2) the estimated amount [level] of appropriations for
42	42	the current state fiscal biennium from state tax revenues not
43	43	dedicated by the constitution; and
44	44	(3) the amount of state tax revenues not dedicated by
45	45	the constitution that could be appropriated for the next state
46	46	fiscal biennium within the limit established in accordance with the
47	47	maximum allowable rate of growth determined under Subdivision (1)
48	48	and the estimated amount of appropriations for the current state
49	49	fiscal biennium determined under Subdivision (2) [by the estimated
50	50	rate of growth of the state's economy].
51	51	(b) If the sum of the estimated rate of increase or decrease
52	52	in the state's population and the estimated rate of monetary
53	53	inflation or deflation in this state is a negative number, the
54	54	amount of appropriations authorized for the next state fiscal
55	55	biennium from state tax revenues not dedicated by the constitution
56	56	may not exceed the amount of appropriations from those revenues in
57	57	the current state fiscal biennium reduced by the product of that
58	58	amount and the additive inverse of the sum of those rates. [Except
59	59	as provided by Subsection (c), the board shall determine the
60	60	estimated rate of growth of the state's economy by dividing the
61	61	estimated Texas total personal income for the next biennium by the
62	62	estimated Texas total personal income for the current biennium.
63	63	Using standard statistical methods, the board shall make the
64	64	estimate by projecting through the biennium the estimated Texas
65	65	total personal income reported by the United States Department of
66	66	Commerce or its successor in function.]
67	67	(c) [If a more comprehensive definition of the rate of
68	68	growth of the state's economy is developed and is approved by the
69	69	committee established by Section 316.005, the board may use that
70	70	definition in calculating the limit on appropriations.
71	71	[(d)] To ensure compliance with Section 22, Article VIII,
72	72	[Section 22, of the] Texas Constitution, the Legislative Budget
73	73	Board may not transmit in any form to the governor or the
74	74	legislature the budget as prescribed by Section 322.008(c) or the
75	75	general appropriations bill as prescribed by Section 322.008(d)
76	76	until the limit on the rate of growth of appropriations has been
77	77	adopted as required by this subchapter.
78	78	(d) [(e)] In the absence of an action by the Legislative
79	79	Budget Board to adopt a spending limit as provided by this section
80	80	[in Subsections (a) and (b)], the sum of the estimated rate of
81	81	population growth and the estimated rate of inflation [in the
82	82	state's economy from the current biennium to the next biennium]
83	83	shall be treated as if that rate [it] were zero, and the amount of
84	84	state tax revenues not dedicated by the constitution that could be
85	85	appropriated for the next state fiscal biennium is [within the
86	86	limit established by the estimated rate of growth in the state's
87	87	economy shall be] the same as the amount [level] of appropriations
88	88	from those revenues for the current biennium.
89	89	SECTION 2. Section 316.008(a), Government Code, is amended
90	90	to read as follows:
91	91	(a) Unless the legislature adopts a resolution under
92	92	Section 22, Article VIII, [Section 22(b), of the] Texas
93	93	Constitution, raising the proposed limit on appropriations, the
94	94	proposed limit is binding on the legislature with respect to all
95	95	appropriations for the next state fiscal biennium made from state
96	96	tax revenues not dedicated by the constitution.
97	97	SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only,
98	98	as applicable, in relation to appropriations made for the state
99	99	fiscal biennium beginning September 1, 2017, and subsequent state
100	100	fiscal bienniums. Appropriations for the state fiscal biennium
101	101	that begins September 1, 2015, are governed by Sections 316.001,
102	102	316.002, and 316.008, Government Code, as those sections provided
103	103	on January 1, 2015, and the former law is continued in effect for
104	104	that purpose.
105	105	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect on the date on which the
106	106	constitutional amendment proposed by the 84th Legislature, Regular
107	107	Session, 2015, concerning the limitation on the rate of growth of
108	108	state appropriations takes effect. If that amendment is not
109	109	approved by the voters, this Act has no effect.