Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HJR183 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R15872 KJE-D
2	2	By: Noble H.J.R. No. 183
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7	7	A JOINT RESOLUTION
8	8	proposing a constitutional amendment establishing the property tax
9	9	reduction fund to reduce school district maintenance and operations
10	10	ad valorem taxes and dedicating certain unencumbered general
11	11	revenue and certain general revenue that would otherwise be
12	12	transferred to the economic stabilization fund to that fund.
13	13	BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
14	14	SECTION 1. Section 49-g, Article III, Texas Constitution,
15	15	is amended by amending Subsections (c), (c-1), (c-2), and (h) and
16	16	adding Subsection (g-1) to read as follows:
17	17	(c) Not later than the 90th day of each fiscal year, the
18	18	comptroller of public accounts shall transfer from the general
19	19	revenue fund to the economic stabilization fund, the property tax
20	20	reduction fund, and the state highway fund the sum of the amounts
21	21	described by Subsections (d) and (e) of this section, to be
22	22	allocated as provided by Subsections (c-1) and (c-2) of this
23	23	section. However, if necessary and notwithstanding the allocations
24	24	prescribed by Subsections (c-1) and (c-2) of this section, the
25	25	comptroller shall reduce proportionately the amounts described by
26	26	Subsections (d) and (e) of this section to be transferred and
27	27	allocated to the economic stabilization fund to prevent the amount
28	28	in that fund from exceeding the limit in effect for that biennium
29	29	under Subsection (g) of this section. Revenue transferred to the
30	30	state highway fund under this subsection may be used only for
31	31	constructing, maintaining, and acquiring rights-of-way for public
32	32	roadways other than toll roads.
33	33	(c-1) Of the sum of the amounts described by Subsections (d)
34	34	and (e) of this section and required to be transferred from the
35	35	general revenue fund under Subsection (c) of this section, the
36	36	comptroller shall allocate one-quarter [one-half] to the economic
37	37	stabilization fund, one-quarter to the property tax reduction fund,
38	38	and the remainder to the state highway fund, except as provided by
39	39	Subsection (c-2) of this section.
40	40	(c-2) The legislature by general law shall provide for a
41	41	procedure by which the allocation of the sum of the amounts
42	42	described by Subsections (d) and (e) of this section may be adjusted
43	43	to provide for a transfer to the economic stabilization fund of an
44	44	amount greater than the allocation provided for under Subsection
45	45	(c-1) of this section with the remainder of that sum, if any,
46	46	allocated for transfer to the property tax reduction fund and the
47	47	state highway fund as provided by general law. The allocation made
48	48	as provided by that general law is binding on the comptroller for
49	49	the purposes of the transfers required by Subsection (c) of this
50	50	section.
51	51	(g-1) When the comptroller of public accounts acts to
52	52	prevent the amount in the economic stabilization fund from
53	53	exceeding the limit in effect for a biennium under Subsection (g) of
54	54	this section by reducing an amount transferred to the fund from
55	55	general revenue as provided by Subsection (b) or (c) of this section
56	56	or by crediting to general revenue interest that is due to the fund
57	57	as provided by Subsection (i) of this section, the comptroller
58	58	shall:
59	59	(1) determine an amount of general revenue equal to
60	60	the amount by which the balance of general revenue is increased by
61	61	the reduction of the transfer from general revenue or the crediting
62	62	of interest to general revenue; and
63	63	(2) transfer the amount determined under Subdivision
64	64	(1) of this subsection to the property tax reduction fund
65	65	established under Section 3-a, Article VII, of this constitution.
66	66	(h) In preparing an estimate of anticipated revenues for a
67	67	succeeding biennium as required by Section 49a, Article III,
68	68	[Section 49a,] of this constitution, the comptroller shall estimate
69	69	the amount of the transfers that will be made under Subsections (b),
70	70	(d), [and] (e), and (g-1) of this section. The comptroller shall
71	71	deduct that amount from the estimate of anticipated revenues as if
72	72	the transfers were made on August 31 of that fiscal year.
73	73	SECTION 2. Article VII, Texas Constitution, is amended by
74	74	adding Section 3-a to read as follows:
75	75	Sec. 3-a. (a) The property tax reduction fund is
76	76	established as a fund in the state treasury outside the general
77	77	revenue fund for the purpose of reducing school district
78	78	maintenance and operations ad valorem taxes.
79	79	(b) The fund consists of:
80	80	(1) money appropriated or transferred to the credit of
81	81	the fund; and
82	82	(2) interest and other earnings on the investment of
83	83	money in the fund.
84	84	(c) Not later than the 90th day of each state fiscal
85	85	biennium, the comptroller of public accounts shall transfer to the
86	86	credit of the fund one-half of any unencumbered positive balance of
87	87	general revenue that exists on the last day of the preceding
88	88	biennium.
89	89	(d) Money in the fund may be appropriated only for the
90	90	purpose of reducing school district maintenance and operations ad
91	91	valorem taxes in the manner provided by general law or maintaining
92	92	the reduction of those taxes once the amount of those taxes reaches
93	93	zero.
94	94	SECTION 3. The following temporary provision is added to
95	95	the Texas Constitution:
96	96	TEMPORARY PROVISION. (a) This temporary provision applies
97	97	to the constitutional amendment proposed by the 89th Legislature,
98	98	Regular Session, 2025, establishing the property tax reduction fund
99	99	to reduce school district maintenance and operations ad valorem
100	100	taxes and dedicating certain unencumbered general revenue and
101	101	certain general revenue that would otherwise be transferred to the
102	102	economic stabilization fund to that fund.
103	103	(b) The amendments to Section 49-g, Article III, of this
104	104	constitution, and Section 3-a, Article VII, of this constitution,
105	105	as added by the amendment, take effect September 1, 2027.
106	106	(c) This temporary provision expires September 1, 2028.
107	107	SECTION 4. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be
108	108	submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 4, 2025.
109	109	The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the
110	110	proposition: "The constitutional amendment establishing the
111	111	property tax reduction fund to reduce school district maintenance
112	112	and operations ad valorem taxes and dedicating certain unencumbered
113	113	general revenue and certain general revenue that would otherwise be
114	114	transferred to the economic stabilization fund to that fund."