| |
| |
|
|
A JOINT RESOLUTION
|
|
|
proposing a constitutional amendment limiting the uses of revenue |
|
|
from motor vehicle registration fees, taxes on motor fuels and |
|
|
lubricants, and certain revenue received from the federal |
|
|
government. |
|
|
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 7-a, Article VIII, Texas Constitution, |
|
|
is amended to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 7-a. (a) Subject to legislative appropriation, |
|
|
allocation and direction, all net revenues remaining after payment |
|
|
of all refunds allowed by law and expenses of collection derived |
|
|
from motor vehicle registration fees, and all taxes, except gross |
|
|
production and ad valorem taxes, on motor fuels and lubricants used |
|
|
to propel motor vehicles over public roadways, shall be used for the |
|
|
sole purpose of acquiring rights-of-way, constructing, |
|
|
maintaining, and policing such public roadways, and for the |
|
|
administration of such laws as may be prescribed by the Legislature |
|
|
pertaining to the supervision of traffic and safety on such roads; |
|
|
[and for the payment of the principal and interest on county and
|
|
|
road district bonds or warrants voted or issued prior to January 2,
|
|
|
1939, and declared eligible prior to January 2, 1945, for payment
|
|
|
out of the County and Road District Highway Fund under existing
|
|
|
law;] provided, however, that one-fourth (1/4) of such net revenue |
|
|
from the motor fuel tax shall be allocated to the Available School |
|
|
Fund; and, provided, however, that the net revenue derived by |
|
|
counties from motor vehicle registration fees shall never be less |
|
|
than the maximum amounts allowed to be retained by each County and |
|
|
the percentage allowed to be retained by each County under the laws |
|
|
in effect on January 1, 1945. Nothing contained herein shall be |
|
|
construed as authorizing the pledging of the State's credit for any |
|
|
purpose. |
|
|
(b) For a biennium, the Legislature may not appropriate |
|
|
funds derived from the revenue described by Subsection (a) of this |
|
|
section or Section 7-b of this article for a purpose other than |
|
|
acquiring rights-of-way or constructing or maintaining public |
|
|
roadways in an amount that exceeds the lesser of: |
|
|
(1) the total amount of those funds appropriated for a |
|
|
purpose other than acquiring rights-of-way or constructing or |
|
|
maintaining public roadways in the preceding biennium; or |
|
|
(2) the amount determined under Subsection (c) of this |
|
|
section. |
|
|
(c) For each biennium, the maximum amount that may be |
|
|
appropriated as provided by Subsection (b) of this section is |
|
|
reduced by 20 percent from the preceding biennium if the estimate of |
|
|
anticipated revenue from all sources made in advance of the regular |
|
|
session under Section 49a(a), Article III, of this constitution for |
|
|
the biennium exceeds the total amount of revenue from all sources |
|
|
for the preceding biennium by more than three times the amount of |
|
|
the reduction. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be |
|
|
submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 8, 2011. |
|
|
The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the |
|
|
proposition: "The constitutional amendment limiting the uses of |
|
|
revenue from motor vehicle registration fees, taxes on motor fuels |
|
|
and lubricants, and certain revenue received from the federal |
|
|
government." |