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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the creation of the Texas Fiscal Stability Commission. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. DEFINITION. In this Act, "commission" means the |
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Texas Fiscal Stability Commission. |
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SECTION 2. MISSION OF TEXAS FISCAL STABILITY COMMISSION. |
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(a) The mission of the Texas Fiscal Stability Commission is |
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to provide the state legislature recommendations for improving the |
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state's ability to provide a stable, long-term source of revenue |
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for educating the people of Texas from pre-kindergarten through |
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higher education while maintaining low state and local tax rates |
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relative to other states and ensuring tax efforts of households and |
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business sectors are equitably shared. |
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(b) The commission shall develop a comprehensive plan that |
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includes tax and budget recommendations to eliminate the state's |
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structural revenue shortfall. |
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SECTION 3. ESTABLISHMENT AND OPERATION OF TEXAS FISCAL |
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STABILITY COMMISSION. (a) The Texas Fiscal Stability Commission |
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is composed of 19 members as follows: |
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(1) the chair of the House Appropriations Committee |
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and House Ways and Means Commission; |
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(2) the chair and vice-chair of the Senate Committee |
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on Finance; |
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(3) two state representatives and three public members |
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appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; |
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(4) two state senators and three public members |
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appointed by the Lieutenant Governor; and |
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(5) five public members appointed by the Governor; |
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(b) A person specified by Subsection (a) of this section to |
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appoint a commission member shall make the appointment not later |
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than November 1, 2011. |
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(c) The Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the House of |
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Representatives shall select one member of the commission to serve |
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as the chair and another member to serve as the vice chair. |
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(d) The commission shall meet at the call of the chair. |
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(e) The commission shall hold public hearings at locations |
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throughout the state to hear testimony on issues related to its |
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mission. |
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(f) A commission member may not receive compensation for |
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serving on the commission but is entitled to reimbursement of |
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travel expenses incurred by the member while conducting the |
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business of the commission as provided by the General |
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Appropriations Act. |
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(g) The commission shall submit the state fiscal stability |
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plan under Section 2 of this Act to the Senate Finance Commission, |
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the House Appropriations Commission, the House Ways and Means |
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Committee, and the Legislative Budget Board not later than June 1, |
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2012. |
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(h) The commission is abolished September 1, 2013. |
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SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect |
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immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members |
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elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas |
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Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for |
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immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |