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A JOINT RESOLUTION
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proposing a constitutional amendment concerning the limitation on |
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the rate of growth in state and local appropriations with the return |
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of over-collected taxpayer money by reducing taxes. |
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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Article VIII, Texas Constitution, is amended by |
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adding Section 22A to read as follows: |
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Sec. 22. (a) For purposes of this section, "all funds |
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appropriations" means appropriations from: |
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(1) the general revenue fund in the state or local treasury; |
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(2) a dedicated account in the general revenue fund in the |
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state or local treasury; |
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(3) a general revenue-related fund in the state treasury as |
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identified in the biennial statement required of the comptroller |
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under Section 49a, Article III, Texas Constitution; and |
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(4) the other state funds, other local funds, and federal |
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funds in the state or local treasury. |
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(a) In each state fiscal biennium, the rate of growth of |
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appropriations from all revenue sources, and each local fiscal year |
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may not exceed the average taxpayer's ability to pay for the cost of |
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funding government. |
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(b) The Legislative Budget Board shall approve the |
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calculated rate using the available data and adopt the applicable |
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limit prior to the commencement of each regular state legislative |
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session and each local government shall use this determined rate. |
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(c) The state legislature or local entity may exceed the |
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limit imposed by this section only if: |
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1. Three-fourths of the members of each house of the |
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state legislature for the state budget and three-fourths of the |
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members of each local entity approve a resolution specifying the |
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amount of appropriations authorized above the limit and identifying |
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the nature of the emergency. |
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(d) Any over-collected taxpayer money will be returned to |
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them by reducing tax rates as determined by the state for the state |
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budget or local entity for the local entity's budget. |
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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 4, 2025. |
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The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the |
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proposition: "The constitutional amendment concerning the |
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limitation on the rate of growth in state and local appropriations, |
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and any over-collected taxpayer money will be returned by lowering |
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taxes." |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect on the date on which the |
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constitutional amendment proposed by the 89th Legislature, Regular |
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Session, 2025, authorizing an appropriations limitation on state |
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and local governments in Texas. If that amendment is not approved |
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by the voters, this Act has no effect. |