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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the Interstate Primary and Secondary Public Education |
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Compact. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Title 4, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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Chapter 163 to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 163. INTERSTATE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY PUBLIC |
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EDUCATION COMPACT |
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Sec. 163.001. EXECUTION OF COMPACT. This state enacts the |
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Interstate Primary and Secondary Public Education Compact and |
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enters into the compact with all other states legally joining in the |
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compact in substantially the following form: |
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Whereas, the separation of powers, both between the branches |
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of the Federal government and between Federal and State authority, |
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is essential to the preservation of individual liberty; |
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Whereas, the Constitution creates a Federal government of |
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limited and enumerated powers, and reserves to the States or to the |
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people those powers not granted to the Federal government; |
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Whereas, the Federal government has enacted many laws that |
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have preempted State laws with respect to Primary and Secondary |
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Public Education, and placed increasing strain on State budgets, |
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impairing other responsibilities such as infrastructure and public |
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safety; |
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Whereas, the Member States seek to protect local control over |
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Primary and Secondary Public Education decisions, and believe the |
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best method to achieve that end is by vesting regulatory authority |
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over Primary and Secondary Public Education in the States; |
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Whereas, by acting in concert, the Member States may express |
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and inspire confidence in the ability of each Member State to govern |
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Primary and Secondary Public Education effectively; and |
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Whereas, the Member States recognize that consent of Congress |
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may be more easily secured if the Member States collectively seek |
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consent through an interstate compact; |
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NOW, THEREFORE, the Member States hereto resolve, and by the |
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adoption into law under their respective State Constitutions of |
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this Primary and Secondary Public Education Compact, agree, as |
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follows: |
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Sec. 1. Definitions. As used in this Compact, unless the |
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context clearly indicates otherwise: |
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"Commission" means the Interstate Primary and Secondary |
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Public Education Excellence Commission. |
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"Effective Date" means the date upon which this Compact shall |
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become effective for purposes of the operation of State and Federal |
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law in a Member State, which shall be the later of: |
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a) the date upon which this Compact shall be adopted |
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under the laws of the Member State; and |
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b) the date upon which this Compact receives the |
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consent of Congress pursuant to Article I, Section 10, of the United |
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States Constitution, after at least two Member States adopt this |
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Compact. |
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"Primary and Secondary Public Education" includes all |
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aspects of a public education system from kindergarten through |
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grade twelve. |
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"Member State" means a State that is signatory to this |
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Compact and has adopted it under the laws of that State. |
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"Member State Base Funding Level" means a number equal to the |
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total Federal spending on Primary and Secondary Public Education in |
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the Member State during Federal fiscal year 2014. On or before the |
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Effective Date, each Member State shall determine the Member State |
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Base Funding Level for its State, and that number shall be binding |
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upon that Member State. |
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"Member State Current Year Funding Level" means the Member |
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State Base Funding Level multiplied by the Member State Current |
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Year Population Adjustment Factor multiplied by the Current Year |
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Inflation Adjustment Factor. |
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"Member State Current Year Population Adjustment Factor" |
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means the average population of the Member State in the current year |
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less the average population of the Member State in Federal fiscal |
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year 2014, divided by the average population of the Member State in |
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Federal fiscal year 2014, plus 1. Average population in a Member |
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State shall be determined by the United States Census Bureau. |
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"Current Year Inflation Adjustment Factor" means the Total |
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Gross Domestic Product Deflator in the current year divided by the |
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Total Gross Domestic Product Deflator in Federal fiscal year |
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2014. Total Gross Domestic Product Deflator shall be determined by |
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the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the United States Department of |
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Commerce. |
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Sec. 2. Pledge. The Member States shall take joint and |
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separate action to secure the consent of the United States Congress |
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to this Compact in order to return the authority to regulate Primary |
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and Secondary Public Education to the Member States consistent with |
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the goals and principles articulated in this Compact. The Member |
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States shall improve Primary and Secondary Public Education policy |
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within their respective jurisdictions and according to the judgment |
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and discretion of each Member State. |
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Sec. 3. Legislative Power. The legislatures of the Member |
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States have the primary responsibility to regulate Primary and |
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Secondary Public Education in their respective States. |
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Sec. 4. State Control. Each Member State, within its |
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State, may suspend by legislation the operation of all federal |
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laws, rules, regulations, and orders regarding Primary and |
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Secondary Public Education that are inconsistent with the laws and |
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regulations adopted by the Member State pursuant to this |
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Compact. Federal and State laws, rules, regulations, and orders |
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regarding Primary and Secondary Public Education will remain in |
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effect unless a Member State expressly suspends them pursuant to |
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its authority under this Compact. For any federal law, rule, |
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regulation, or order that remains in effect in a Member State after |
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the Effective Date, that Member State shall be responsible for the |
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associated funding obligations in its State. |
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Sec. 5. Funding. |
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(a) Each Federal fiscal year, each Member State shall have |
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the right to Federal monies up to an amount equal to its Member |
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State Current Year Funding Level for that Federal fiscal year, |
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funded by Congress as mandatory spending and not subject to annual |
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appropriation, to support the exercise of Member State authority |
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under this Compact. This funding shall not be conditional on any |
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action of or regulation, policy, law, or rule being adopted by the |
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Member State. |
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(b) By the start of each Federal fiscal year, Congress shall |
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establish an initial Member State Current Year Funding Level for |
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each Member State, based upon reasonable estimates. The final |
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Member State Current Year Funding Level shall be calculated, and |
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funding shall be reconciled by the United States Congress based |
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upon information provided by each Member State and audited by the |
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United States Government Accountability Office. |
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Sec. 6. Interstate Primary and Secondary Public Education |
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Excellence Commission. |
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(a) The Interstate Primary and Secondary Public Education |
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Excellence Commission is established. The Commission consists of |
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members appointed by each Member State through a process to be |
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determined by each Member State. A Member State may not appoint |
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more than two members to the Commission and may withdraw membership |
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from the Commission at any time. Each Commission member is |
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entitled to one vote. The Commission shall not act unless a |
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majority of the members are present, and no action shall be binding |
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unless approved by a majority of the Commission's total membership. |
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(b) The Commission may elect from among its membership a |
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Chairperson. The Commission may adopt and publish bylaws and |
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policies that are not inconsistent with this Compact. The |
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Commission shall meet at least once a year, and may meet more |
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frequently. |
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(c) The Commission may study issues of Primary and Secondary |
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Public Education regulation that are of particular concern to the |
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Member States. The Commission may make non-binding |
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recommendations to the Member States. The legislatures of the |
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Member States may consider these recommendations in determining the |
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appropriate Primary and Secondary Public Education policies in |
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their respective States. |
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(d) The Commission shall collect information and data to |
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assist the Member States in their regulation of Primary and |
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Secondary Public Education, including assessing the performance of |
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various State Primary and Secondary Public Education programs and |
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compiling information on the cost of providing Primary and |
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Secondary Public Education. The Commission shall make this |
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information and data available to the legislatures of the Member |
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States. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Compact, this |
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Act does not authorize the disclosure of information, documents, or |
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records that are not subject to disclosure under the Family |
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Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. Section |
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1232g). |
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(e) The Commission shall be funded by the Member States as |
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agreed to by the Member States. The Commission shall have the |
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responsibilities and duties as may be conferred upon it by |
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subsequent action of the respective legislatures of the Member |
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States in accordance with the terms of this Compact. |
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(f) The Commission shall not take any action within a Member |
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State that contravenes any State law of that Member State. |
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Sec. 7. Congressional Consent. This Compact shall be |
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effective on its adoption by at least two Member States and consent |
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of the United States Congress. This Compact shall be effective |
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unless the United States Congress, in consenting to this Compact, |
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alters the fundamental purposes of this Compact, which are: |
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(a) To secure the right of the Member States to regulate |
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Primary and Secondary Public Education in their respective States |
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pursuant to this Compact and to suspend the operation of any |
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conflicting federal laws, rules, regulations, and orders within |
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their States; and |
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(b) To secure Federal funding for Member States that choose |
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to invoke their authority under this Compact, as prescribed by |
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Section 5 above. |
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Sec. 8. Amendments. The Member States, by unanimous |
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agreement, may amend this Compact from time to time without the |
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prior consent or approval of Congress and any amendment shall be |
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effective unless, within one year, the Congress disapproves that |
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amendment. Any State may join this Compact after the date on which |
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Congress consents to the Compact by adoption into law under its |
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State Constitution. |
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Sec. 9. Withdrawal; Dissolution. Any Member State may |
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withdraw from this Compact by adopting a law to that effect, but no |
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such withdrawal shall take effect until six months after the |
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Governor of the withdrawing Member State has given notice of the |
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withdrawal to the other Member States. A withdrawing State shall |
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be liable for any obligations that it may have incurred prior to the |
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date on which its withdrawal becomes effective. This Compact shall |
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be dissolved upon the withdrawal of all but one of the Member |
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States. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |