By:  Parker                                           S.J.R. No. 53
                                SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
    1-1  proposing a constitutional amendment relating to the equitable
    1-2  distribution of the available school fund.
    1-3        BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Article VII, Section 5(a), of the Texas
    1-5  Constitution is amended to read as follows:
    1-6        (a)  The principal of all bonds and other funds, and the
    1-7  principal arising from the sale of the lands hereinbefore set apart
    1-8  to said school fund, shall be the permanent school fund, and all
    1-9  the interest derivable therefrom and the taxes herein authorized
   1-10  and levied shall be the available school fund.  The available
   1-11  school fund shall be applied annually to the support of the public
   1-12  free schools.  Except as provided by this section, no law shall
   1-13  ever be enacted appropriating any part of the permanent or
   1-14  available school fund to any other purpose whatever; nor shall the
   1-15  same, or any part thereof ever be appropriated to or used for the
   1-16  support of any sectarian school; and the available school fund
   1-17  herein provided shall be distributed equitably for the benefit of
   1-18  the public free schools <to the several  counties according to
   1-19  their scholastic population and applied> in such manner as may be
   1-20  provided by law.
   1-21        SECTION 2.  This proposed constitutional amendment shall be
   1-22  submitted to the voters at an election to be held on November 2,
   1-23  1993.  The ballot shall be printed to provide for voting for or
    2-1  against the proposition:  "The constitutional amendment authorizing
    2-2  the equitable distribution of the available school fund for the
    2-3  benefit of the public free schools as provided by law."