Enrolled Bill Summary

House Bill 2972	House Author:  Smith, Todd
Effective:  Vetoed	Senate Sponsor:  Wentworth

House Bill 2972 amends the Tax Code to authorize a municipality in which 66 percent or more of the voters voting in each of the last two consecutive elections concerning the adoption or reauthorization of a municipal street maintenance tax favored adoption or reauthorization and in which the tax has not expired since the first of those two consecutive elections to call an election to reauthorize the tax for a period of eight years instead of four years. The election is called and held in the same manner as an election to adopt the tax with the exception of the ballot proposition, which must state the proposition as a proposition to reauthorize the local sales and use tax at the specified rate to continue providing revenue for maintenance and repair of municipal streets and provide for the expiration of the tax at the end of eight years unless the tax is again reauthorized.

The bill sets the expiration date for such a reauthorized tax as the first day of the first calendar quarter occurring after the eighth anniversary of the date the tax was last reauthorized. The bill expands the authorized uses for the tax revenue from a municipal street maintenance tax to include the maintenance and repair of municipal sidewalks existing on the date of the election to adopt the tax.

Reason Given for Veto: "House Bill 2972 would restrict Texans' power to vote on whether to maintain or increase a street maintenance tax. House Bill 2972 would allow municipalities to delay voter input by limiting the tax elections to once every eight years rather than the current four-year period. Texans should have the right to vote on tax measures sooner rather than later."