By Haywood                                            S.B. No. 1473
         76R6088 CBH-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to a temporary decrease in the rate of the state sales and
 1-3     use tax.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5                                  ARTICLE 1
 1-6           SECTION 1.01.  SALES TAX RATE.  Section 151.051(b), Tax Code,
 1-7     is amended to read as follows:
 1-8           (b)  The sales tax rate is 5-3/4 [6 1/4] percent of the sales
 1-9     price of the taxable item sold.
1-10           SECTION 1.02.  EFFECTIVE DATE.  This article takes effect
1-11     October 1, 1999, and applies to a sale, storage, use, or other
1-12     consumption of a taxable item under Chapter 151, Tax Code, on or
1-13     after that date.  The sale, storage, use, or other consumption of a
1-14     taxable item before the effective date of this Act is governed by
1-15     the law in effect at the time of the transaction, and that law is
1-16     continued in effect for the enforcement and collection of those
1-17     taxes.
1-18                                  ARTICLE 2
1-19           SECTION 2.01.  SALES TAX RATE.  Section 151.051(b), Tax Code,
1-20     is amended to read as follows:
1-21           (b)  The sales tax rate is 6 1/4 percent of the sales price
1-22     of the taxable item sold.
1-23           SECTION 2.02.  EFFECTIVE DATE.  This article takes effect
1-24     October 1, 2001, and applies to a sale, storage, use, or other
 2-1     consumption of a taxable item under Chapter 151, Tax Code, on or
 2-2     after that date.  The sale, storage, use, or other consumption of a
 2-3     taxable item before the effective date of this Act is governed by
 2-4     the law in effect at the time of the transaction, and that law is
 2-5     continued in effect for the enforcement and collection of those
 2-6     taxes.
 2-7                                  ARTICLE 3
 2-8           SECTION 3.01.  EMERGENCY.  The importance of this legislation
 2-9     and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-10     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-11     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-12     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.