Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SJR43 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R8973 JAM-D
2	2	By: Huffines S.J.R. No. 43
3	3
4	4
5	5	A JOINT RESOLUTION
6	6	proposing a constitutional amendment prohibiting the issuance of
7	7	certain debt and the use of certain revenue for toll roads.
8	8	BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Section 49-m(a), Article III, Texas
10	10	Constitution, is amended to read as follows:
11	11	(a) The legislature, by law, may authorize the Texas
12	12	Transportation Commission or its successor to authorize the Texas
13	13	Department of Transportation or its successor to issue notes or
14	14	borrow money from any source to carry out the functions of the
15	15	department other than department functions related to toll roads.
16	16	SECTION 2. Section 49-n(a), Article III, Texas
17	17	Constitution, as proposed by H.J.R. 28, 78th Legislature, Regular
18	18	Session, 2003, is amended to read as follows:
19	19	(a) To fund highway improvement projects, other than toll
20	20	roads, the legislature may authorize the Texas Transportation
21	21	Commission or its successor to issue bonds and other public
22	22	securities and enter into bond enhancement agreements that are
23	23	payable from revenue deposited to the credit of the state highway
24	24	fund.
25	25	SECTION 3. Section 49-p(a), Article III, Texas
26	26	Constitution, is amended to read as follows:
27	27	(a) To provide funding for highway improvement projects,
28	28	other than toll roads, the legislature by general law may authorize
29	29	the Texas Transportation Commission or its successor to issue
30	30	general obligation bonds of the State of Texas in an aggregate
31	31	amount not to exceed $5 billion and enter into related credit
32	32	agreements. The bonds shall be executed in the form, on the terms,
33	33	and in the denominations, bear interest, and be issued in
34	34	installments as prescribed by the Texas Transportation Commission
35	35	or its successor.
36	36	SECTION 4. Sections 7-a and 7-b, Article VIII, Texas
37	37	Constitution, are amended to read as follows:
38	38	Sec. 7-a. Subject to legislative appropriation, allocation
39	39	and direction, all net revenues remaining after payment of all
40	40	refunds allowed by law and expenses of collection derived from
41	41	motor vehicle registration fees, and all taxes, except gross
42	42	production and ad valorem taxes, on motor fuels and lubricants used
43	43	to propel motor vehicles over public roadways, shall be used for the
44	44	sole purpose of policing public roadways and for acquiring
45	45	rights-of-way for and [,] constructing and [,] maintaining[, and
46	46	policing such] public roadways, other than toll roads, and for the
47	47	administration of such laws as may be prescribed by the Legislature
48	48	pertaining to the supervision of traffic and safety on such roads;
49	49	[and for the payment of the principal and interest on county and
50	50	road district bonds or warrants voted or issued prior to January 2,
51	51	1939, and declared eligible prior to January 2, 1945, for payment
52	52	out of the County and Road District Highway Fund under existing
53	53	law;] provided, however, that one-fourth (1/4) of such net revenue
54	54	from the motor fuel tax shall be allocated to the Available School
55	55	Fund; and, provided, however, that the net revenue derived by
56	56	counties from motor vehicle registration fees shall never be less
57	57	than the maximum amounts allowed to be retained by each County and
58	58	the percentage allowed to be retained by each County under the laws
59	59	in effect on January 1, 1945. Nothing contained herein shall be
60	60	construed as authorizing the pledging of the State's credit for any
61	61	purpose.
62	62	Sec. 7-b. All revenues received from the federal government
63	63	as reimbursement for state expenditures of funds that are
64	64	themselves dedicated for policing public roadways and for acquiring
65	65	rights-of-way for and constructing and[,] maintaining[, and
66	66	policing] public roadways, other than toll roads, are also
67	67	constitutionally dedicated and shall be used only for those
68	68	purposes.
69	69	SECTION 5. The following temporary provision is added to
70	70	the Texas Constitution:
71	71	TEMPORARY PROVISION. (a) This temporary provision applies
72	72	to the constitutional amendment proposed by the 84th Legislature,
73	73	Regular Session, 2015, prescribing the purposes for which debt may
74	74	be issued and for which revenue from motor vehicle registration
75	75	fees, taxes on motor fuels and lubricants, and certain revenues
76	76	received from the federal government may be used.
77	77	(b) The amendments to Sections 49-m, 49-n, and 49-p, Article
78	78	III, and Sections 7-a and 7-b, Article VIII, of this constitution
79	79	apply only in connection with a state fiscal biennium that begins on
80	80	or after September 1, 2017.
81	81	(c) This temporary provision expires September 2, 2017.
82	82	SECTION 6. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be
83	83	submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 3, 2015.
84	84	The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the
85	85	proposition: "The constitutional amendment prohibiting the
86	86	issuance of certain debt and the use of certain revenue for toll
87	87	roads."