Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HJR24 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R8753 TJB-F
2	2	By: Harless H.J.R. No. 24
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5	5	A JOINT RESOLUTION
6	6	proposing a constitutional amendment dedicating revenue derived
7	7	from the taxes imposed on the sale, use, or rental of motor vehicles
8	8	to the state highway fund and limiting the permissible uses of
9	9	certain money in the fund.
10	10	BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Section 7-a, Article VIII, Texas Constitution,
12	12	is amended to read as follows:
13	13	Sec. 7-a. (a) Subject to legislative appropriation,
14	14	allocation and direction, all net revenues remaining after payment
15	15	of all refunds allowed by law and expenses of collection derived
16	16	from motor vehicle registration fees, and all taxes, except gross
17	17	production and ad valorem taxes, on motor fuels and lubricants used
18	18	to propel motor vehicles over public roadways, shall be used for the
19	19	sole purpose of acquiring rights-of-way, constructing,
20	20	maintaining, and policing such public roadways, and for the
21	21	administration of such laws as may be prescribed by the Legislature
22	22	pertaining to the supervision of traffic and safety on such roads;
23	23	[and for the payment of the principal and interest on county and
24	24	road district bonds or warrants voted or issued prior to January 2,
25	25	1939, and declared eligible prior to January 2, 1945, for payment
26	26	out of the County and Road District Highway Fund under existing
27	27	law;] provided, however, that one-fourth (1/4) of such net revenue
28	28	from the motor fuel tax shall be allocated to the Available School
29	29	Fund; and, provided, however, that the net revenue derived by
30	30	counties from motor vehicle registration fees shall never be less
31	31	than the maximum amounts allowed to be retained by each County and
32	32	the percentage allowed to be retained by each County under the laws
33	33	in effect on January 1, 1945. Nothing contained herein shall be
34	34	construed as authorizing the pledging of the State's credit for any
35	35	purpose.
36	36	(b) For a biennium, the Legislature may not appropriate
37	37	funds derived from the revenue described by Subsection (a) of this
38	38	section or Section 7-b of this article for a purpose other than
39	39	acquiring rights-of-way or planning, designing, constructing, or
40	40	maintaining public roadways in an amount that exceeds the lesser
41	41	of:
42	42	(1) the total amount of those funds appropriated for a
43	43	purpose other than acquiring rights-of-way or planning, designing,
44	44	constructing, or maintaining public roadways in the preceding
45	45	biennium; or
46	46	(2) the amount determined under Subsection (c) of this
47	47	section.
48	48	(c) For each biennium, the maximum amount that may be
49	49	appropriated as provided by Subsection (b) of this section is
50	50	reduced by 20 percent from the preceding biennium if the estimate of
51	51	anticipated revenue from all sources made in advance of the regular
52	52	session under Section 49a(a), Article III, of this constitution for
53	53	the biennium exceeds the total amount of revenue from all sources
54	54	for the preceding biennium by more than three times the amount of
55	55	the reduction.
56	56	(d) All net revenue derived from the taxes imposed on the
57	57	sale, use, or rental of motor vehicles by Chapter 152, Tax Code, or
58	58	its successor shall be deposited to the credit of a special account
59	59	in the state highway fund.
60	60	(e) Interest earned on the account under Subsection (d) of
61	61	this section in the state highway fund shall be credited to the
62	62	account. Revenue allocated to the account and interest on the
63	63	revenue may be used only for acquiring rights-of-way and planning,
64	64	designing, constructing, and maintaining nontolled public
65	65	roadways.
66	66	SECTION 2. The following temporary provision is added to
67	67	the Texas Constitution:
68	68	TEMPORARY PROVISION. (a) This temporary provision applies
69	69	to the constitutional amendment proposed by the 84th Legislature,
70	70	Regular Session, 2015, dedicating revenue derived from the taxes
71	71	imposed on the sale, use, or rental of motor vehicles to the state
72	72	highway fund and limiting the permissible uses of certain money in
73	73	the fund.
74	74	(b) Sections 7-a(b) and (c), Article VIII, of this
75	75	constitution apply only in connection with a state fiscal biennium
76	76	that begins on or after September 1, 2017.
77	77	(c) Sections 7-a(d) and (e), Article VIII, of this
78	78	constitution take effect January 1, 2016.
79	79	(d) This temporary provision expires September 2, 2017.
80	80	SECTION 3. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be
81	81	submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 3, 2015.
82	82	The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the
83	83	proposition: "The constitutional amendment dedicating revenue
84	84	derived from the taxes imposed on the sale, use, or rental of motor
85	85	vehicles to the state highway fund and limiting the permissible
86	86	uses of certain money in the fund."