| 1 | 1 | | 88R15332 BEE-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: King of Hemphill H.J.R. No. 154 |
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| 5 | 5 | | A JOINT RESOLUTION |
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| 6 | 6 | | proposing a constitutional amendment providing for the creation of |
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| 7 | 7 | | the centennial parks conservation fund to be administered by the |
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| 8 | 8 | | Parks and Wildlife Department. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Article III, Texas Constitution, is amended by |
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| 11 | 11 | | adding Section 49-e-1 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 49-e-1. (a) The centennial parks conservation fund is |
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| 13 | 13 | | created as a special fund in the state treasury outside the general |
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| 14 | 14 | | revenue fund. Money in the centennial parks conservation fund |
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| 15 | 15 | | shall be administered, without further appropriation, by the Parks |
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| 16 | 16 | | and Wildlife Department or the department's successor in function. |
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| 17 | 17 | | In accordance with general law, the centennial parks conservation |
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| 18 | 18 | | fund may be used only for the creation and improvement of state and |
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| 19 | 19 | | local parks and the conservation of land, water, and soil in this |
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| 20 | 20 | | state. Separate accounts may be established in the centennial |
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| 21 | 21 | | parks conservation fund as necessary or convenient to administer |
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| 22 | 22 | | the fund or the supported projects. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (b) The legislature by general law may authorize the Parks |
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| 24 | 24 | | and Wildlife Department or the department's successor in function |
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| 25 | 25 | | to use the centennial parks conservation fund to provide financial |
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| 26 | 26 | | assistance to support projects for public purposes consistent with |
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| 27 | 27 | | this section through grants administered by the department or the |
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| 28 | 28 | | department's successor in function. The financial assistance |
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| 29 | 29 | | authorized by this subsection may be provided directly to public or |
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| 30 | 30 | | private entities as provided by general law. |
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| 31 | 31 | | (c) In accordance with general law, the Parks and Wildlife |
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| 32 | 32 | | Department or the department's successor in function may, at that |
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| 33 | 33 | | entity's discretion, transfer money from the centennial parks |
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| 34 | 34 | | conservation fund to other programs and funds of the department or |
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| 35 | 35 | | the department's successor in function. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (d) The centennial parks conservation fund consists of: |
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| 37 | 37 | | (1) money appropriated to the fund; |
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| 38 | 38 | | (2) money transferred or deposited to the credit of |
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| 39 | 39 | | the fund by general law; |
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| 40 | 40 | | (3) investment earnings and interest earned on amounts |
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| 41 | 41 | | credited to the fund; and |
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| 42 | 42 | | (4) gifts, grants, and donations received for the |
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| 43 | 43 | | fund. |
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| 44 | 44 | | SECTION 2. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be |
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| 45 | 45 | | submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 7, 2023. |
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| 46 | 46 | | The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the |
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| 47 | 47 | | proposition: "The constitutional amendment providing for the |
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| 48 | 48 | | creation of the centennial parks conservation fund to be |
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| 49 | 49 | | administered by the Parks and Wildlife Department and used for the |
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| 50 | 50 | | creation and improvement of state and local parks and the |
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| 51 | 51 | | conservation of land, water, and soil in this state." |
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