By Hochberg H.B. No. 1242 Line and page numbers may not match official copy. Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E. A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the state funding for school district debt service. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Section 42.303, Education Code, is amended to 1-5 read: 1-6 (a) The district enrichment and facilities tax rate ("DTR") 1-7 under Section 42.302 may not exceed $0.64 per $100 of valuation, or 1-8 a greater amount for any year provided by appropriation, except as 1-9 provided for in subsection (b). 1-10 (b) The "DTR" may exceed the limit in subsection (a) for 1-11 taxes to pay debt service on bonds only, if: 1-12 (1) taxes to pay debt service on those bonds, or on 1-13 bonds for which those bonds are a refunding, were levied prior to 1-14 the 1997-1998 school year; and 1-15 (2) the DTR exceeds the limit by no more than the tax 1-16 rate that, for the current year, when added to state funds under 1-17 Section 42.302 attributable to the portion of the DTR that exceeds 1-18 the limit, raises an amount equal to that which would be raised to 1-19 pay the debt service on those bonds from the portion of the 1-20 district's tax rate that would exceed the limit if the DTR were 1-21 limited as otherwise provided in subsection (a); and 2-1 (3) the debt service on those bonds is paid entirely 2-2 from taxes raised from a tax rate within the DTR and from state 2-3 funds under 42.302. 2-4 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 2-5 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-6 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-7 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-8 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-9 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.