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A JOINT RESOLUTION
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proposing a constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature |
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to pass laws relating to junior college districts, including laws |
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for the assessment and collection of taxes by a junior college |
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district without the necessity of an election. |
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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Article VII, Texas Constitution, is amended by |
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adding Section 3-a and amending Section 3-b to read as follows: |
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Sec. 3-a. (a) The Legislature by general law may provide |
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for the formation, management, and control of junior college |
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districts. |
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(b) The Legislature by general law may provide for the levy |
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and collection of taxes by junior college districts for the |
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maintenance and operation of the districts and for the construction |
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and equipment of junior college buildings and other capital |
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improvements, and may authorize a junior college district to issue |
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bonds and other obligations payable from the taxes if approved by |
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the qualified voters of the district at an election held for that |
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purpose. |
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Sec. 3-b. No tax for the maintenance of public free schools |
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voted in any independent school district [and no tax for the
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maintenance of a junior college voted by a junior college
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district], nor any bonds voted in any such district, but unissued, |
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shall be abrogated, cancelled or invalidated by change of any kind |
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in the boundaries thereof. After any change in boundaries, the |
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governing body of any such district, without the necessity of an |
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additional election, shall have the power to assess, levy and |
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collect ad valorem taxes on all taxable property within the |
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boundaries of the district as changed, for the purposes of the |
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maintenance of public free schools [or the maintenance of a junior
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college, as the case may be], and the payment of principal of and |
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interest on all bonded indebtedness outstanding against, or |
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attributable, adjusted or allocated to, such district or any |
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territory therein, in the amount, at the rate, or not to exceed the |
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rate, and in the manner authorized in the district prior to the |
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change in its boundaries, and further in accordance with the laws |
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under which all such bonds, respectively, were voted; and such |
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governing body also shall have the power, without the necessity of |
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an additional election, to sell and deliver any unissued bonds |
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voted in the district prior to any such change in boundaries, and to |
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assess, levy and collect ad valorem taxes on all taxable property in |
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the district as changed, for the payment of principal of and |
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interest on such bonds in the manner permitted by the laws under |
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which such bonds were voted. In those instances where the |
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boundaries of any such independent school district are changed by |
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the annexation of, or consolidation with, one or more whole school |
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districts, the taxes to be levied for the purposes hereinabove |
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authorized may be in the amount or at not to exceed the rate |
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theretofore voted in the district having at the time of such change |
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the greatest scholastic population according to the latest |
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scholastic census and only the unissued bonds of such district |
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voted prior to such change, may be subsequently sold and delivered |
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and any voted, but unissued, bonds of other school districts |
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involved in such annexation or consolidation shall not thereafter |
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be issued. |
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SECTION 2. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be |
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submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 8, 2011. |
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The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the |
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proposition: "The constitutional amendment authorizing the |
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legislature to pass laws relating to junior college districts, |
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including laws for the assessment and collection of taxes by a |
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junior college district without the necessity of an election." |