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| 4 | 6 | | A JOINT RESOLUTION |
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| 5 | 7 | | proposing a constitutional amendment concerning the limitation on |
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| 6 | 8 | | the rate of growth in state and local appropriations with the return |
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| 7 | 9 | | of over-collected taxpayer money by reducing taxes. |
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| 8 | 10 | | BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Article VIII, Texas Constitution, is amended by |
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| 10 | 12 | | adding Section 22A to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 13 | | Sec. 22. (a) For purposes of this section, "all funds |
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| 12 | 14 | | appropriations" means appropriations from: |
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| 13 | 15 | | (1) the general revenue fund in the state or local treasury; |
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| 14 | 16 | | (2) a dedicated account in the general revenue fund in the |
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| 15 | 17 | | state or local treasury; |
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| 16 | 18 | | (3) a general revenue-related fund in the state treasury as |
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| 17 | 19 | | identified in the biennial statement required of the |
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| 18 | 20 | | comptroller under Section 49a, Article III, Texas |
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| 19 | 21 | | Constitution; and |
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| 20 | 22 | | (4) the other state funds, other local funds, and federal |
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| 21 | 23 | | funds in the state or local treasury. |
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| 22 | 24 | | (a) In each state fiscal biennium, the rate of growth of |
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| 23 | 25 | | appropriations from all revenue sources, and each local |
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| 24 | 26 | | fiscal year may not exceed the average taxpayer's ability to |
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| 25 | 27 | | pay for the cost of funding government. |
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| 26 | 28 | | (b) The Legislative Budget Board shall approve the |
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| 27 | 29 | | calculated rate using the available data and adopt the applicable |
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| 28 | 30 | | limit prior to the commencement of each regular state legislative |
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| 29 | 31 | | session and each local government shall use this determined rate. |
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| 30 | 32 | | (c) The state legislature or local entity may exceed the |
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| 31 | 33 | | limit imposed by this section only if: |
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| 32 | 34 | | 1. Three-fourths of the members of each house of the state |
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| 33 | 35 | | legislature for the state budget and three-fourths of the |
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| 34 | 36 | | members of each local entity approve a resolution specifying |
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| 35 | 37 | | the amount of appropriations authorized above the limit and |
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| 36 | 38 | | identifying the nature of the emergency. |
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| 37 | 39 | | (d) Any over-collected taxpayer money will be returned to |
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| 38 | 40 | | them by reducing tax rates as determined by the state for the |
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| 39 | 41 | | state budget or local entity for the local entity's budget. |
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| 40 | 42 | | SECTION 2. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be |
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| 41 | 43 | | submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 4, 2025. |
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| 42 | 44 | | The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the |
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| 43 | 45 | | proposition: "The constitutional amendment concerning the |
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| 44 | 46 | | limitation on the rate of growth in state and local appropriations, |
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| 45 | 47 | | and any over-collected taxpayer money will be returned by lowering |
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| 46 | 48 | | taxes." |
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| 47 | 49 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect on the date on which the |
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| 48 | 50 | | constitutional amendment proposed by the 89th Legislature, Regular |
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| 49 | 51 | | Session, 2025, authorizing an appropriations limitation on state |
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| 50 | 52 | | and local governments in Texas. If that amendment is not approved |
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| 51 | 53 | | by the voters, this Act has no effect. |
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