RESOLUTION ANALYSIS C.S.H.J.R. 8 By: Harris State Affairs Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The resolution's author has informed the committee that Texas is experiencing increased electricity demand and requires reliable, clean, and dispatchable energy sources, while advanced nuclear reactors offer a viable solution that provide consistent power generation while promoting economic growth and energy security. C.S.H.J.R. 8 seeks to address this issue by creating the Texas Nuclear Development Fund, a dedicated funding mechanism within the state treasury and outside the general revenue fund to ensure the reliability and adequacy of the state's electric power grid. The fund's purpose is to support the advancement of nuclear energy by financing or incentivizing the development, construction, and operation of advanced nuclear reactor projects in Texas. CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this resolution does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this resolution does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS C.S.H.J.R. 8 proposes an amendment to the Texas Constitution to create the Texas Nuclear Development Fund as a special fund in the state treasury outside the general revenue fund. The resolution authorizes money in the Texas Nuclear Development Fund, as provided by general law, to be administered and used, without further appropriation, only by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) or the PUC's successor in function to provide grants to any entity, based on recommendations from the governor's office, to finance or incentivize the development, construction, and operation of advanced nuclear reactor projects and associated infrastructure as necessary to ensure a reliable and adequate supply of electric power in Texas. The resolution authorizes the entity administering the Texas Nuclear Development Fund to establish separate accounts in the fund as necessary or convenient for the fund's administration and establishes that the fund consists of the following: money credited, appropriated, or transferred to the fund by or as authorized by the legislature; revenue that the legislature dedicates for deposit to the credit of the fund; the returns received from the investment of the money in the fund; and gifts, grants, and donations contributed to the credit of the fund. C.S.H.J.R. 8 does the following with regard to the Texas Nuclear Development Fund: requires the reasonable expenses of managing the fund's assets to be paid from the fund; authorizes the legislature to do the following: o provide, by a provision of a general appropriations act, for the transfer to the general revenue fund of money that is subject to the resolution's provisions; and o appropriate general revenue for the purpose of depositing money to the credit of the Texas Nuclear Development Fund to be used for the purposes of that fund; and establishes the following for purposes of constitutional provisions providing restrictions on the rate of growth of appropriations: o money in the fund is dedicated by the Texas Constitution; and o an appropriation of state tax revenues for the purpose of depositing money to the credit of the fund is treated as if it were an appropriation of revenues dedicated by the Texas Constitution. ELECTION DATE The constitutional amendment proposed by this joint resolution will be submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 4, 2025. COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE While C.S.H.J.R. 8 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the resolution. Whereas the introduced authorized money in the Texas Nuclear Development Fund, as provided by law, to be administered and used without further appropriation to provide grants to entities for financing or incentivizing the development, construction, and operation of advanced nuclear reactor projects, including associated infrastructure, necessary to ensure the reliability or adequacy of an electric power grid in Texas, the substitute authorizes money in the fund, as provided by law, to be administered and used without further appropriation only by the PUC or the PUC's successor in function to provide grants to any entity, based on recommendations from the governor's office, to finance or incentivize the development, construction, and operation of such projects and associated infrastructure to ensure a reliable and adequate supply of electric power in Texas. The substitute omits the returns received from the investment of money in other funds designated to the Texas Nuclear Development Fund from the composition of the Texas Nuclear Development Fund, which were included in the introduced.
RESOLUTION ANALYSIS
# RESOLUTION ANALYSIS
C.S.H.J.R. 8
By: Harris
State Affairs
Committee Report (Substituted)
C.S.H.J.R. 8
By: Harris
State Affairs
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The resolution's author has informed the committee that Texas is experiencing increased electricity demand and requires reliable, clean, and dispatchable energy sources, while advanced nuclear reactors offer a viable solution that provide consistent power generation while promoting economic growth and energy security. C.S.H.J.R. 8 seeks to address this issue by creating the Texas Nuclear Development Fund, a dedicated funding mechanism within the state treasury and outside the general revenue fund to ensure the reliability and adequacy of the state's electric power grid. The fund's purpose is to support the advancement of nuclear energy by financing or incentivizing the development, construction, and operation of advanced nuclear reactor projects in Texas.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this resolution does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this resolution does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS C.S.H.J.R. 8 proposes an amendment to the Texas Constitution to create the Texas Nuclear Development Fund as a special fund in the state treasury outside the general revenue fund. The resolution authorizes money in the Texas Nuclear Development Fund, as provided by general law, to be administered and used, without further appropriation, only by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) or the PUC's successor in function to provide grants to any entity, based on recommendations from the governor's office, to finance or incentivize the development, construction, and operation of advanced nuclear reactor projects and associated infrastructure as necessary to ensure a reliable and adequate supply of electric power in Texas. The resolution authorizes the entity administering the Texas Nuclear Development Fund to establish separate accounts in the fund as necessary or convenient for the fund's administration and establishes that the fund consists of the following: money credited, appropriated, or transferred to the fund by or as authorized by the legislature; revenue that the legislature dedicates for deposit to the credit of the fund; the returns received from the investment of the money in the fund; and gifts, grants, and donations contributed to the credit of the fund. C.S.H.J.R. 8 does the following with regard to the Texas Nuclear Development Fund: requires the reasonable expenses of managing the fund's assets to be paid from the fund; authorizes the legislature to do the following: o provide, by a provision of a general appropriations act, for the transfer to the general revenue fund of money that is subject to the resolution's provisions; and o appropriate general revenue for the purpose of depositing money to the credit of the Texas Nuclear Development Fund to be used for the purposes of that fund; and establishes the following for purposes of constitutional provisions providing restrictions on the rate of growth of appropriations: o money in the fund is dedicated by the Texas Constitution; and o an appropriation of state tax revenues for the purpose of depositing money to the credit of the fund is treated as if it were an appropriation of revenues dedicated by the Texas Constitution.
ELECTION DATE The constitutional amendment proposed by this joint resolution will be submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 4, 2025.
COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE While C.S.H.J.R. 8 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the resolution. Whereas the introduced authorized money in the Texas Nuclear Development Fund, as provided by law, to be administered and used without further appropriation to provide grants to entities for financing or incentivizing the development, construction, and operation of advanced nuclear reactor projects, including associated infrastructure, necessary to ensure the reliability or adequacy of an electric power grid in Texas, the substitute authorizes money in the fund, as provided by law, to be administered and used without further appropriation only by the PUC or the PUC's successor in function to provide grants to any entity, based on recommendations from the governor's office, to finance or incentivize the development, construction, and operation of such projects and associated infrastructure to ensure a reliable and adequate supply of electric power in Texas. The substitute omits the returns received from the investment of money in other funds designated to the Texas Nuclear Development Fund from the composition of the Texas Nuclear Development Fund, which were included in the introduced.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The resolution's author has informed the committee that Texas is experiencing increased electricity demand and requires reliable, clean, and dispatchable energy sources, while advanced nuclear reactors offer a viable solution that provide consistent power generation while promoting economic growth and energy security. C.S.H.J.R. 8 seeks to address this issue by creating the Texas Nuclear Development Fund, a dedicated funding mechanism within the state treasury and outside the general revenue fund to ensure the reliability and adequacy of the state's electric power grid. The fund's purpose is to support the advancement of nuclear energy by financing or incentivizing the development, construction, and operation of advanced nuclear reactor projects in Texas.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this resolution does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this resolution does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
C.S.H.J.R. 8 proposes an amendment to the Texas Constitution to create the Texas Nuclear Development Fund as a special fund in the state treasury outside the general revenue fund. The resolution authorizes money in the Texas Nuclear Development Fund, as provided by general law, to be administered and used, without further appropriation, only by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) or the PUC's successor in function to provide grants to any entity, based on recommendations from the governor's office, to finance or incentivize the development, construction, and operation of advanced nuclear reactor projects and associated infrastructure as necessary to ensure a reliable and adequate supply of electric power in Texas. The resolution authorizes the entity administering the Texas Nuclear Development Fund to establish separate accounts in the fund as necessary or convenient for the fund's administration and establishes that the fund consists of the following:
money credited, appropriated, or transferred to the fund by or as authorized by the legislature;
revenue that the legislature dedicates for deposit to the credit of the fund;
the returns received from the investment of the money in the fund; and
gifts, grants, and donations contributed to the credit of the fund.
C.S.H.J.R. 8 does the following with regard to the Texas Nuclear Development Fund:
requires the reasonable expenses of managing the fund's assets to be paid from the fund;
authorizes the legislature to do the following:
o provide, by a provision of a general appropriations act, for the transfer to the general revenue fund of money that is subject to the resolution's provisions; and
o appropriate general revenue for the purpose of depositing money to the credit of the Texas Nuclear Development Fund to be used for the purposes of that fund; and
establishes the following for purposes of constitutional provisions providing restrictions on the rate of growth of appropriations:
o money in the fund is dedicated by the Texas Constitution; and
o an appropriation of state tax revenues for the purpose of depositing money to the credit of the fund is treated as if it were an appropriation of revenues dedicated by the Texas Constitution.
ELECTION DATE
The constitutional amendment proposed by this joint resolution will be submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 4, 2025.
COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE
While C.S.H.J.R. 8 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the resolution.
Whereas the introduced authorized money in the Texas Nuclear Development Fund, as provided by law, to be administered and used without further appropriation to provide grants to entities for financing or incentivizing the development, construction, and operation of advanced nuclear reactor projects, including associated infrastructure, necessary to ensure the reliability or adequacy of an electric power grid in Texas, the substitute authorizes money in the fund, as provided by law, to be administered and used without further appropriation only by the PUC or the PUC's successor in function to provide grants to any entity, based on recommendations from the governor's office, to finance or incentivize the development, construction, and operation of such projects and associated infrastructure to ensure a reliable and adequate supply of electric power in Texas.
The substitute omits the returns received from the investment of money in other funds designated to the Texas Nuclear Development Fund from the composition of the Texas Nuclear Development Fund, which were included in the introduced.