H.R. No. 2473
R E S O L U T I O N
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the State of
Texas, 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, That House Rule 13,
Section 9(a), be suspended in part as provided by House Rule 13,
Section 9(f), to enable the conference committee appointed to
resolve the differences on Senate Joint Resolution 75 (proposing a
constitutional amendment creating the Texas water fund to assist in
financing water projects in this state) to consider and take action
on the following matters:
(1) House Rule 13, Sections 9(a)(1) and (3), are suspended
to permit the committee to change, alter, or amend text not in
disagreement and add text on a matter not in disagreement in
proposed SECTION 1 of the resolution, by including in added Section
49-d-16(a), Article III, Texas Constitution, text that reads as
follows:
The legislature may appropriate money for the purpose of depositing
the money to the fund to be available for transfer as provided by
Subsection (b) of this section.
Explanation: The change is necessary to clarify that money
may be appropriated to the Texas water fund.
(2) House Rule 13, Sections 9(a)(1) and (3), are suspended
to permit the committee to change, alter, or amend text not in
disagreement and add text on a matter not in disagreement in
proposed SECTION 1 of the resolution, by including in added Section
49-d-16(b), Article III, Texas Constitution, text that reads as
follows:
, including the transfer of money from the fund to or the
restoration of the money from:
(1) the Water Assistance Fund No. 480;
(2) the New Water Supply for Texas Fund;
(3) the Rural Water Assistance Fund No. 301; or
(4) the Statewide Water Public Awareness Account.
Explanation: The change is necessary to clarify that money
in the Texas water fund may be transferred to or restored from
certain other funds.
(3) House Rule 13, Section 9(a)(4), is suspended to permit
the committee to add text on a matter not included in either the
house or senate version of the resolution in proposed SECTION 1 of
the resolution, by adding Section 49-d-16(e), Article III, Texas
Constitution, to read as follows:
(e) Of the amount of money initially appropriated to the
Texas water fund, the administrator of the fund shall allocate not
less than 25 percent to be used only for transfer to the New Water
Supply for Texas Fund.
Explanation: The change is necessary to clarify the purposes
for which money in the Texas water fund may be used.
(4) House Rule 13, Section 9(a)(4), is suspended to permit
the committee to add text on a matter not included in either the
house or senate version of the resolution in proposed SECTION 1 of
the resolution, by adding Section 49-d-16(h), Article III, Texas
Constitution, to read as follows:
(h) Any unexpended and unobligated balance remaining in the
Texas water fund at the end of a state fiscal biennium is
appropriated to the administrator of that fund for the following
state fiscal biennium for the purposes authorized by this section.
Explanation: The change is necessary to clarify that
unexpended and unobligated money in the Texas water fund must
remain in that fund until transferred by the administrator of that
fund.
King of Uvalde
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 2473 was adopted by the House on May
28, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 142, Nays 0, 1 present, not
voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House