By: Nelson, Eltife S.B. No. 15
Hinojosa
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to state tax reductions and the limit on appropriations
from certain state tax revenue for a state fiscal biennium.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 316.001, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 316.001. LIMIT. The rate of growth of appropriations
in a biennium from state tax revenues, other than state tax revenues
[not] dedicated by the constitution and state tax revenues
appropriated for the purpose of paying for tax relief, may not
exceed the estimated rate of growth of the state's economy.
SECTION 2. Sections 316.002(a) and (e), Government Code,
are amended to read as follows:
(a) Before the Legislative Budget Board submits the budget
as prescribed by Section 322.008(c), the board shall establish:
(1) the estimated rate of growth of the state's economy
from the current biennium to the next biennium;
(2) the level of appropriations for the current
biennium from state tax revenues, other than state tax revenues
[not] dedicated by the constitution and state tax revenues
appropriated for the purpose of paying for tax relief; and
(3) the amount of state tax revenues, other than state
tax revenues [not] dedicated by the constitution and state tax
revenues appropriated for the purpose of paying for tax relief,
that could be appropriated for the next biennium within the limit
established by the estimated rate of growth of the state's economy.
(e) In the absence of an action by the Legislative Budget
Board to adopt a spending limit as provided in Subsections (a) and
(b), the estimated rate of growth in the state's economy from the
current biennium to the next biennium shall be treated as if it were
zero, and the amount of state tax revenues, other than state tax
revenues [not] dedicated by the constitution and state tax revenues
appropriated for the purpose of paying for tax relief, that could be
appropriated within the limit established by the estimated rate of
growth in the state's economy shall be the same as the level of
appropriations for the current biennium.
SECTION 3. Section 316.006, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 316.006. LIMIT ON BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS. Unless
authorized by majority vote of the members of the board from each
house, the Legislative Budget Board budget recommendations
relating to the proposed appropriations of state tax revenues,
other than state tax revenues [not] dedicated by the constitution
and state tax revenues appropriated for the purpose of paying for
tax relief, may not exceed the limit adopted by the committee under
Section 316.005.
SECTION 4. Section 316.007(a), Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) The Legislative Budget Board shall include in its budget
recommendations the proposed limit of appropriations from state tax
revenues, other than state tax revenues [not] dedicated by the
constitution and state tax revenues appropriated for the purpose of
paying for tax relief.
SECTION 5. Section 316.008(a), Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) Unless the legislature adopts a resolution under
Section 22(b), Article VIII, [Section 22(b), of the] Texas
Constitution, raising the proposed limit on appropriations, the
proposed limit is binding on the legislature with respect to all
appropriations for the next biennium made from state tax revenues,
other than state tax revenues [not] dedicated by the constitution
and state tax revenues appropriated for the purpose of paying for
tax relief.
SECTION 6. (a) The changes in law made by this Act apply
only in relation to appropriations made for the state fiscal
biennium beginning September 1, 2017, and subsequent state fiscal
bienniums.
(b) Appropriations for the state fiscal biennium that
begins September 1, 2015, are governed by Subchapter A, Chapter
316, Government Code, as that subchapter provided immediately
before the effective date of this Act, and the former law is
continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 7. This Act takes effect on the effective date of
the constitutional amendment proposed by the 84th Legislature,
Regular Session, 2015, excepting certain appropriations for
reducing state debt from the constitutional limitation on the rate
of growth of appropriations. If that amendment is not approved by
the voters, this Act has no effect.