By: Birdwell S.B. No. 2779
(In the Senate - Filed March 14, 2025; April 3, 2025, read
first time and referred to Committee on Economic Development;
April 16, 2025, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 4, Nays 1; April 16, 2025,
sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 2779 By: Sparks
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the allocation and use of certain hotel occupancy tax
revenues.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 156.2511, Tax Code, is amended by adding
Subsections (a-1) and (b-1) and amending Subsection (b) to read as
follows:
(a-1) An eligible coastal municipality that receives a
warrant issued under Subsection (a) shall transfer the full amount
of the warrant to the park board of trustees created by the
municipality not later than the last day of the calendar month
immediately following the date the municipality received the
warrant.
(b) Money [An eligible coastal municipality may use money]
received under this section may be used only to clean and maintain
public beaches in the eligible coastal [that] municipality.
(b-1) The comptroller may issue a warrant under this section
only if the eligible coastal municipality has:
(1) allocated at least one percent of the tax imposed
by the municipality under Chapter 351 to clean and maintain public
beaches in the municipality;
(2) either:
(A) applied for state funds under Subchapter C,
Chapter 61, Natural Resources Code; or
(B) made available to the comptroller the same
information required to be contained in an application under
Section 61.069, Natural Resources Code; and
(3) on the request of the comptroller, submitted to
the comptroller:
(A) financial data necessary to demonstrate that
the municipality has satisfied the requirements of Subdivision (1);
and
(B) a signed attestation stating that the
municipality has satisfied the requirements of this subsection.
SECTION 2. Section 351.101, Tax Code, is amended by adding
Subsection (b-1) to read as follows:
(b-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), revenue derived from
the tax authorized by this chapter may not be expended in a manner
or by a program or activity that discriminates or prioritizes on the
basis of race, color, disability, sex, religion, age, or national
origin.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
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