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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to state tax reductions and the limit on appropriations |
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from certain state tax revenue for a state fiscal biennium. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 316.001, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 316.001. LIMIT. The rate of growth of appropriations |
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in a biennium from state tax revenues, other than state tax revenues |
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[not] dedicated by the constitution and state tax revenues |
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appropriated for the purpose of paying for tax relief, may not |
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exceed the estimated rate of growth of the state's economy. |
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SECTION 2. Sections 316.002(a) and (e), Government Code, |
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are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) Before the Legislative Budget Board submits the budget |
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as prescribed by Section 322.008(c), the board shall establish: |
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(1) the estimated rate of growth of the state's economy |
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from the current biennium to the next biennium; |
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(2) the level of appropriations for the current |
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biennium from state tax revenues, other than state tax revenues |
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[not] dedicated by the constitution and state tax revenues |
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appropriated for the purpose of paying for tax relief; and |
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(3) the amount of state tax revenues, other than state |
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tax revenues [not] dedicated by the constitution and state tax |
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revenues appropriated for the purpose of paying for tax relief, |
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that could be appropriated for the next biennium within the limit |
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established by the estimated rate of growth of the state's economy. |
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(e) In the absence of an action by the Legislative Budget |
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Board to adopt a spending limit as provided in Subsections (a) and |
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(b), the estimated rate of growth in the state's economy from the |
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current biennium to the next biennium shall be treated as if it were |
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zero, and the amount of state tax revenues, other than state tax |
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revenues [not] dedicated by the constitution and state tax revenues |
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appropriated for the purpose of paying for tax relief, that could be |
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appropriated within the limit established by the estimated rate of |
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growth in the state's economy shall be the same as the level of |
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appropriations for the current biennium. |
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SECTION 3. Section 316.006, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 316.006. LIMIT ON BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS. Unless |
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authorized by majority vote of the members of the board from each |
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house, the Legislative Budget Board budget recommendations |
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relating to the proposed appropriations of state tax revenues, |
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other than state tax revenues [not] dedicated by the constitution |
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and state tax revenues appropriated for the purpose of paying for |
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tax relief, may not exceed the limit adopted by the committee under |
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Section 316.005. |
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SECTION 4. Section 316.007(a), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) The Legislative Budget Board shall include in its budget |
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recommendations the proposed limit of appropriations from state tax |
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revenues, other than state tax revenues [not] dedicated by the |
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constitution and state tax revenues appropriated for the purpose of |
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paying for tax relief. |
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SECTION 5. Section 316.008(a), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) Unless the legislature adopts a resolution under |
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Section 22(b), Article VIII, [Section 22(b), of the] Texas |
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Constitution, raising the proposed limit on appropriations, the |
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proposed limit is binding on the legislature with respect to all |
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appropriations for the next biennium made from state tax revenues, |
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other than state tax revenues [not] dedicated by the constitution |
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and state tax revenues appropriated for the purpose of paying for |
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tax relief. |
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SECTION 6. (a) The changes in law made by this Act apply |
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only in relation to appropriations made for the state fiscal |
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biennium beginning September 1, 2017, and subsequent state fiscal |
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bienniums. |
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(b) Appropriations for the state fiscal biennium that |
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begins September 1, 2015, are governed by Subchapter A, Chapter |
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316, Government Code, as that subchapter provided immediately |
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before the effective date of this Act, and the former law is |
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continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 7. This Act takes effect on the effective date of |
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the constitutional amendment proposed by the 84th Legislature, |
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Regular Session, 2015, excepting certain appropriations for |
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reducing state debt from the constitutional limitation on the rate |
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of growth of appropriations. If that amendment is not approved by |
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the voters, this Act has no effect. |