Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HJR60 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R7 JJT-D
2	2	By: Bonnen of Galveston H.J.R. No. 60
3	3
4	4
5	5	A JOINT RESOLUTION
6	6	proposing a constitutional amendment concerning the limitation on
7	7	the rate of growth of state appropriations.
8	8	BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Section 22, Article VIII, Texas Constitution, is
10	10	amended to read as follows:
11	11	Sec. 22. (a) In no state fiscal biennium shall the rate of
12	12	growth of appropriations from state tax revenues not dedicated by
13	13	this constitution exceed a rate equal to the sum of the estimated
14	14	rates [rate of growth] of:
15	15	(1) change of the state's population during the state
16	16	fiscal biennium preceding the state fiscal biennium for which the
17	17	appropriations are made; and
18	18	(2) monetary inflation or deflation in this state
19	19	during the state fiscal biennium preceding the biennium for which
20	20	the appropriations are made [economy].
21	21	(b) If the sum of the estimated rate of change of the state's
22	22	population and the estimated rate of monetary inflation or
23	23	deflation in this state during that preceding state fiscal biennium
24	24	is a negative number, the appropriations from state tax revenues
25	25	not dedicated by this constitution for the biennium may not exceed
26	26	the amount determined by subtracting from the estimated amount of
27	27	appropriations from state tax revenues not dedicated by this
28	28	constitution for that preceding biennium the product of the
29	29	additive inverse of that negative number and the estimated amount
30	30	of appropriations from state tax revenues not dedicated by this
31	31	constitution for that preceding biennium.
32	32	(c) The legislature shall provide by general law procedures
33	33	to implement Subsections (a) and (b) of this section [subsection].
34	34	(d) [(b)] If the legislature by adoption of a resolution
35	35	approved by a record vote of a majority of the members of each house
36	36	finds that an emergency exists and identifies the nature of the
37	37	emergency, the legislature may provide for appropriations in excess
38	38	of the maximum amount authorized by [Subsection (a) of] this
39	39	section. The excess authorized under this subsection may not
40	40	exceed the amount specified in the resolution.
41	41	(e) [(c)] In no case shall appropriations exceed revenues
42	42	as provided in Article III, Section 49a, of this constitution.
43	43	Nothing in this section shall be construed to alter, amend, or
44	44	repeal Article III, Section 49a, of this constitution.
45	45	SECTION 2. The following temporary provision is added to
46	46	the Texas Constitution:
47	47	TEMPORARY PROVISION. (a) This temporary provision applies
48	48	to the amendments to Section 22, Article VIII, of this
49	49	constitution, proposed by the 84th Legislature, Regular Session,
50	50	2015, concerning the limitation on the rate of growth of
51	51	appropriations. This temporary provision expires December 1, 2017.
52	52	(b) The changes made to Section 22, Article VIII, of this
53	53	constitution, as made by the amendments, apply only in relation to
54	54	appropriations made for the state fiscal biennium beginning
55	55	September 1, 2017, and subsequent state fiscal bienniums.
56	56	Appropriations for the state fiscal biennium that began September
57	57	1, 2015, are governed by Section 22, Article VIII, of this
58	58	constitution as that section provided immediately before the
59	59	amendment was approved by the voters.
60	60	SECTION 3. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be
61	61	submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 3, 2015.
62	62	The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the
63	63	proposition: "The constitutional amendment concerning the
64	64	limitation on the rate of growth in state appropriations."