Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB188 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R260 CJC-D
2	2	By: Landgraf H.B. No. 188
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the allocation of certain constitutional transfers of
10	10	money to certain funds and accounts, including the Texas severance
11	11	tax revenue and oil and natural gas (Texas STRONG) defense fund, and
12	12	to the permissible uses of money deposited to the Texas severance
13	13	tax revenue and oil and natural gas (Texas STRONG) defense fund.
14	14	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
15	15	SECTION 1. The heading to Subchapter H, Chapter 316,
16	16	Government Code, is amended to read as follows:
17	17	SUBCHAPTER H. ALLOCATION OF CONSTITUTIONAL TRANSFERS TO CERTAIN
18	18	FUNDS [ECONOMIC STABILIZATION FUND AND STATE HIGHWAY FUND]
19	19	SECTION 2. The heading to Section 316.092, Government Code,
20	20	is amended to read as follows:
21	21	Sec. 316.092. DETERMINATION OF THRESHOLD FOR
22	22	CONSTITUTIONAL TRANSFER TO CERTAIN FUNDS [STATE HIGHWAY FUND].
23	23	SECTION 3. Section 316.092(b), Government Code, is amended
24	24	to read as follows:
25	25	(b) This section expires December 31, 2036 [2042].
26	26	SECTION 4. The heading to Section 316.093, Government Code,
27	27	is amended to read as follows:
28	28	Sec. 316.093. ADJUSTMENT OF CONSTITUTIONAL ALLOCATIONS TO
29	29	CERTAIN FUNDS [FUND AND STATE HIGHWAY FUND].
30	30	SECTION 5. Section 316.093, Government Code, is amended by
31	31	amending Subsections (b), (c), and (d) and adding Subsection (e) to
32	32	read as follows:
33	33	(b) If the sum described by Subsection (a) is less than the
34	34	amount determined under Section 316.092 for that state fiscal
35	35	biennium, the comptroller shall reduce proportionately the
36	36	allocations [allocation] to the state highway fund, the oil and gas
37	37	regulation and cleanup account, the Texas emissions reduction plan
38	38	fund, and the Texas severance tax revenue and oil and natural gas
39	39	(Texas STRONG) defense fund as provided by Section 49-g(c-1)
40	40	[49-g(c)], Article III, Texas Constitution, and increase the
41	41	allocation to the economic stabilization fund[,] in an [equal]
42	42	amount equal to the reduction of those allocations[,] until the
43	43	amount determined under Section 316.092 for that state fiscal
44	44	biennium would be achieved by the transfer to the fund or the total
45	45	amount of the sum described by Section 49-g(c), Article III, Texas
46	46	Constitution, is allocated to the fund, whichever occurs first.
47	47	(c) For the purposes of Section 49-g(c-2), Article III,
48	48	Texas Constitution, the comptroller shall adjust the allocation
49	49	provided by Section 49-g(c-1) of that article so that [of amounts to
50	50	be transferred to the fund and to the state highway fund under
51	51	Section 49-g(c) of that article in a state fiscal year] beginning
52	52	[on or after] September 1, 2037 [2043], the amount allocated for
53	53	transfer to the Texas severance tax revenue and oil and natural gas
54	54	(Texas STRONG) defense fund under Section 49-g(c-1) of that article
55	55	is instead [so that the total of those amounts is] transferred to
56	56	the economic stabilization fund.
57	57	(d) The [, except that the] comptroller shall reduce a
58	58	transfer to the economic stabilization fund required [made] under
59	59	Subsection (c) of this section [this subsection] as necessary to
60	60	prevent the amount in the fund from exceeding the limit in effect
61	61	for that biennium under Section 49-g(g), Article III, Texas
62	62	Constitution [of that article].
63	63	(e) [(d)] Subsections (a) and (b) and this subsection
64	64	expire December 31, 2036 [2042].
65	65	SECTION 6. Subchapter G, Chapter 403, Government Code, is
66	66	amended by adding Section 403.108 to read as follows:
67	67	Sec. 403.108. TEXAS SEVERANCE TAX REVENUE AND OIL AND
68	68	NATURAL GAS (TEXAS STRONG) DEFENSE FUND; GRANT PROGRAM. (a) In
69	69	this section:
70	70	(1) "Fund" means the Texas severance tax revenue and
71	71	oil and natural gas (Texas STRONG) defense fund under Section
72	72	49-g-1, Article III, Texas Constitution.
73	73	(2) "Qualifying county" means a county in which the
74	74	amount of oil and gas production taxes collected by the comptroller
75	75	during the preceding two state fiscal years is at least 0.5 percent
76	76	of the total amount of those taxes collected in the state during
77	77	that same period.
78	78	(b) Money in the fund may be appropriated by the legislature
79	79	only to:
80	80	(1) the governor for the purpose of implementing,
81	81	administering, and funding the grant program established under
82	82	Subsection (c);
83	83	(2) the Texas Department of Transportation for the
84	84	purpose of making grants under Subchapter C, Chapter 256,
85	85	Transportation Code, to a qualifying county or a county in which a
86	86	port authority or navigation district is engaged in oil or gas
87	87	production, refinement, or export, notwithstanding any other
88	88	provision of that subchapter;
89	89	(3) the trusteed programs within the office of the
90	90	governor for the purpose of meeting economic development needs in
91	91	qualifying counties; and
92	92	(4) the Department of Public Safety for the purposes
93	93	of:
94	94	(A) paying the salaries, benefit costs, and other
95	95	costs associated with additional full-time equivalent department
96	96	employees stationed in qualifying counties;
97	97	(B) paying salary increases to department
98	98	employees stationed in qualifying counties; or
99	99	(C) providing additional resources for the
100	100	enforcement of commercial motor vehicle safety standards under
101	101	Chapter 644, Transportation Code, and the prevention of gang
102	102	violence and human trafficking, in qualifying counties.
103	103	(c) Subject to Subsection (d), the governor by rule shall:
104	104	(1) establish a grant program using money received
105	105	from the fund to address the effects of and needs associated with
106	106	significant oil and gas production in this state by providing
107	107	financial assistance to nonprofit organizations, public
108	108	institutions of higher education, school districts, and other
109	109	political subdivisions;
110	110	(2) develop an application process for grants made
111	111	under the program; and
112	112	(3) prioritize grants for first responders, emergency
113	113	and trauma care services, health care and mental health care
114	114	services, educational opportunities, and workforce preparedness
115	115	needs.
116	116	(d) In awarding grants under the grant program established
117	117	under Subsection (c), the governor shall give priority to an
118	118	applicant located in a qualifying county or a county in which a port
119	119	authority or navigation district is engaged in oil or gas
120	120	production, refinement, or export.
121	121	SECTION 7. Section 386.250(b), Health and Safety Code, is
122	122	amended to read as follows:
123	123	(b) The fund consists of:
124	124	(1) the amount of money deposited to the credit of the
125	125	fund under:
126	126	(A) Section 386.056;
127	127	(B) Sections 151.0515 and 152.0215, Tax Code; and
128	128	(C) Sections 501.138, 502.358, and 548.5055,
129	129	Transportation Code; [and]
130	130	(2) money transferred to the fund under Section
131	131	49-g(c), Article III, Texas Constitution; and
132	132	(3) grant money recaptured under Section 386.111(d)
133	133	and Chapter 391.
134	134	SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2027, but only
135	135	if the constitutional amendment proposed by the 89th Legislature,
136	136	Regular Session, 2025, providing for the creation of the Texas
137	137	severance tax revenue and oil and natural gas (Texas STRONG)
138	138	defense fund, dedicating the money in that fund to benefit areas of
139	139	the state significantly affected by oil and gas production, and
140	140	providing for the transfer of certain general revenues to that
141	141	fund, the economic stabilization fund, and certain other funds and
142	142	accounts is approved by the voters. If that amendment is not
143	143	approved by the voters, this Act has no effect.