By:  Brown                                   S.J.R. No. 17

         97S0083/1                            

                               SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

 1-1     proposing a constitutional amendment to create the Texas Water

 1-2     Development Fund II and to authorize the Texas Water Development

 1-3     Board to administer the fund and issue general obligation bonds for

 1-4     the purposes of the fund.

 1-5           BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-6           SECTION 1.  Article III, Texas Constitution, is amended by

 1-7     adding Section 49-d-8 to read as follows:

 1-8           Sec. 49-d-8.  (a)  The Texas Water Development Fund II is

 1-9     created in the state treasury as a fund separate and distinct from

1-10     the Texas Water Development Fund established under Section 49-c of

1-11     this article.  Money in the Texas Water Development Fund II shall

1-12     be administered without further appropriation by the Texas Water

1-13     Development Board and shall be used for any one or more of the

1-14     purposes authorized by Sections 49-c, 49-d, 49-d-1, 49-d-2, 49-d-5,

1-15     49-d-6, and 49-d-7 of this article, as determined by the Texas

1-16     Water Development Board.  Separate accounts shall be established in

1-17     the Texas Water Development Fund II for administering proceedings

1-18     related to the purposes described in Section 49-d of this article,

1-19     the purposes described in Subsection (e) of Section 49-d-7 of this

1-20     article, and all other authorized purposes.  The Texas Water

1-21     Development Board is hereby authorized, at its determination, to

1-22     issue general obligation bonds for one or more accounts of the

1-23     Texas Water Development Fund II in an aggregate principal amount

1-24     equal to the amount of bonds authorized pursuant to Sections

 2-1     49-d-2, 49-d-6, and 49-d-7 of this article less the amount of bonds

 2-2     issued pursuant to those sections to augment the Texas Water

 2-3     Development Fund.  Nothing in this section, however, shall grant to

 2-4     the Texas Water Development Board the authority to issue bonds

 2-5     under this section and under Sections 49-d-2, 49-d-6, and 49-d-7 of

 2-6     this article in excess of the total amount of authorized bonds

 2-7     described in Sections 49-d-2, 49-d-6, and 49-d-7 of this article or

 2-8     to issue bonds for purposes described in Subsection (e) of Section

 2-9     49-d-7 of this article in excess of $250,000,000.  The expenses of

2-10     the Texas Water Development Board in connection with the issuance

2-11     of bonds for an account of the Texas Water Development Fund II and

2-12     administration of such account may be paid from money in such

2-13     account.

2-14           (b)  The Texas Water Development Board is hereby authorized,

2-15     at its determination, to issue general obligation bonds for one or

2-16     more accounts of the Texas Water Development Fund II in order to

2-17     refund outstanding bonds previously issued to augment the Texas

2-18     Water Development Fund, as long as the principal amount of the

2-19     refunding bonds does not exceed the outstanding principal amount of

2-20     the refunded bonds, and to refund the general obligation of the

2-21     State of Texas under long-term contracts entered into by the Texas

2-22     Water Development Board with the United States or any of its

2-23     agencies under authority granted by Section 49-d of this article,

2-24     as long as the principal amount of the refunding bonds does not

2-25     exceed the principal amount of the contractual obligation of the

 3-1     Texas Water Development Board.  Money and assets in the Texas Water

 3-2     Development Fund attributable to such refunding bonds shall be

 3-3     transferred to the appropriate account of the Texas Water

 3-4     Development Fund II, as determined by the Texas Water Development

 3-5     Board, to the extent not inconsistent with the proceedings

 3-6     authorizing any outstanding bonds issued to augment the Texas Water

 3-7     Development Fund and the terms of any long-term contracts entered

 3-8     into by the Texas Water Development Board with the United States or

 3-9     any of its agencies.  Further, at such time as all bonds issued to

3-10     augment the Texas Water Development Fund and all such contractual

3-11     obligations have been paid or otherwise discharged, all money and

3-12     assets in the Texas Water Development Fund shall be transferred to

3-13     the credit of the Texas Water Development Fund II and deposited to

3-14     the accounts therein, as determined by the Texas Water Development

3-15     Board.

3-16           (c)  Subject to the limitations set forth in Section 49-d of

3-17     this article, the legislature shall provide terms and conditions

3-18     under which the Texas Water Development Board may sell, transfer,

3-19     or lease, in whole or in part, facilities held for the account

3-20     established within the Texas Water Development Fund II for

3-21     administering proceedings related to the purposes described in

3-22     Section 49-d of this article, and the legislature may provide terms

3-23     and conditions under which the Texas Water Development Board may

3-24     sell any unappropriated public waters of the state that may be

3-25     stored in such facilities.  Money received from any sale, transfer,

 4-1     or lease of such facilities or water shall be credited to the

 4-2     account established within the Texas Water Development Fund II for

 4-3     the purpose of administering proceedings related to the purposes

 4-4     described in Section 49-d of this article.

 4-5           (d)  Each account of the Texas Water Development Fund II

 4-6     shall consist of:

 4-7                 (1)  the Texas Water Development Board's rights to

 4-8     receive repayment of financial assistance provided from such

 4-9     account, together with any evidence of such rights;

4-10                 (2)  money received from the sale or other disposition

4-11     of the Texas Water Development Board's rights to receive repayment

4-12     of such financial assistance;

4-13                 (3)  money received as repayment of such financial

4-14     assistance;

4-15                 (4)  money and assets attributable to bonds issued and

4-16     sold by the Texas Water Development Board for such account,

4-17     including money and assets transferred from the Texas Water

4-18     Development Fund pursuant to this section;

4-19                 (5)  money deposited in such account pursuant to

4-20     Subsection (c) of this section;

4-21                 (6)  payments received by the Texas Water Development

4-22     Board under a bond enhancement agreement as authorized by law with

4-23     respect to bonds issued for such account; and

4-24                 (7)  interest and other income received from investment

4-25     of money in such account.

 5-1           (e)  Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 49-d-2,

 5-2     49-d-6, and 49-d-7 of this article, the principal of and interest

 5-3     on the general obligation bonds issued for an account of the Texas

 5-4     Water Development Fund II, including payments by the Texas Water

 5-5     Development Board under a bond enhancement agreement as authorized

 5-6     by law with respect to principal of or interest on such bonds,

 5-7     shall be paid out of such account, but the money in such account

 5-8     that is not immediately committed to the purposes of such account

 5-9     or the payment of expenses may be invested as authorized by law

5-10     until the money is needed for those purposes.  If there is not

5-11     enough money in any account available to pay the principal of and

5-12     interest on the general obligation bonds issued for such account,

5-13     including money to make payments by the Texas Water Development

5-14     Board under a bond enhancement agreement as authorized by law with

5-15     respect to principal of or interest on such bonds, there is

5-16     appropriated out of the first money coming into the state treasury

5-17     in each fiscal year not otherwise appropriated by this constitution

5-18     an amount that is sufficient to pay the principal of and interest

5-19     on such general obligation bonds that mature or become due during

5-20     that fiscal year or to make bond enhancement payments with respect

5-21     to those bonds.

5-22           (f)  The general obligation bonds authorized by this section

5-23     may be issued as bonds, notes, or other obligations as permitted by

5-24     law and shall be sold in forms and denominations, on terms, at

5-25     times, in the manner, at places, and in installments, all as

 6-1     determined by the Texas Water Development Board.  The bonds shall

 6-2     bear a rate or rates of interest the Texas Water Development Board

 6-3     determines.  The bonds authorized by this section shall be

 6-4     incontestable after execution by the Texas Water Development Board,

 6-5     approval by the attorney general, and delivery to the purchaser or

 6-6     purchasers of the bonds.

 6-7           (g)  This section being intended only to establish a basic

 6-8     framework and not to be a comprehensive treatment of the Texas

 6-9     Water Development Fund II, there is hereby reposed in the

6-10     legislature full power to implement and effectuate the design and

6-11     objects of this section, including the power to delegate such

6-12     duties, responsibilities, functions, and authority to the Texas

6-13     Water Development Board as it believes necessary.

6-14           SECTION 2.  This proposed constitutional amendment shall be

6-15     submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 4, 1997.

6-16     The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the

6-17     proposition:  "The constitutional amendment establishing the Texas

6-18     Water Development Fund II."