By Barrientos                                         S.J.R. No. 20
       74R888 RJA-D
                                  A JOINT RESOLUTION
    1-1  proposing a constitutional amendment requiring the legislature to
    1-2  appropriate money for public schools before appropriating money for
    1-3  other purposes.
    1-4        BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Article III of the Texas Constitution is amended
    1-6  by adding Section 49a-1 to read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 49a-1.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b) of
    1-8  this section, the legislature may not enact a bill containing an
    1-9  appropriation for a state fiscal biennium for a purpose other than
   1-10  public free schools until the comptroller, in the manner provided
   1-11  by law, certifies that the legislature has passed and sent to the
   1-12  comptroller for certification a comprehensive bill appropriating
   1-13  money for that state fiscal biennium for the state's spending on
   1-14  public free schools.
   1-15        (b)  Subsection (a) of this section does not apply to an
   1-16  appropriation that the governor has submitted as an emergency
   1-17  matter.
   1-18        SECTION 2.  This proposed constitutional amendment shall be
   1-19  submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 7, 1995.
   1-20  The ballot shall be printed to provide for voting for or against
   1-21  the proposition:  "The constitutional amendment requiring the
   1-22  legislature to appropriate money for public schools before
   1-23  appropriating money for other purposes."