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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the substitution of a local sales and use tax for |
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maintenance and operations property taxes imposed by certain local |
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governments; authorizing the imposition of a tax. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subtitle C, Title 3, Tax Code, is amended by |
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adding Chapter 328 to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 328. SUPPLEMENTAL LOCAL SALES AND USE TAX |
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SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS |
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Sec. 328.0001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
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(1) "Lost property tax revenue" means the estimated |
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amount of property tax revenue to be received by a qualifying local |
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government for maintenance and operations purposes for the tax year |
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in which the local government adopts an ordinance or order |
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described by Subdivision (2)(A). |
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(2) "Qualifying local government" means a |
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municipality or county that: |
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(A) before June 30 of a year: |
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(i) adopts an ordinance or order providing |
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that, beginning January 1 of the following year, the local |
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government will not impose a property tax for purposes of funding |
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maintenance and operations expenditures and instead elects to |
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impose a supplemental sales and use tax for those purposes; and |
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(ii) forwards a certified copy of the |
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ordinance or order described by Subparagraph (i) to the |
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comptroller; or |
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(B) in a preceding year, adopted and forwarded to |
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the comptroller an ordinance or order described by Paragraph (A) |
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but has not subsequently adopted an ordinance or order abolishing |
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the supplemental sales and use tax imposed by the government. |
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(3) "Supplemental sales and use tax" means a sales and |
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use tax authorized by this chapter. |
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Sec. 328.0002. APPLICABILITY OF OTHER LAW. (a) Except as |
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otherwise provided by this chapter: |
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(1) Chapter 321 applies to a supplemental sales and |
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use tax imposed by a municipality; and |
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(2) Chapter 323 applies to a supplemental sales and |
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use tax imposed by a county. |
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(b) The following provisions do not apply to a supplemental |
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sales and use tax: |
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(1) Sections 321.101 and 323.101; |
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(2) Subchapter E, Chapter 321, Subchapter E, Chapter |
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323, and the other provisions of Chapters 321 and 323 relating to an |
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election; |
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(3) Sections 321.506-321.508; and |
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(4) Section 323.505. |
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(c) A supplemental sales and use tax is not an additional |
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sales and use tax for purposes of Section 321.101 or any other law. |
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Sec. 328.0003. EFFECT ON COMBINED LOCAL TAX RATE. The rate |
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of a supplemental sales and use tax may not be considered for |
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purposes of determining the combined local tax rate in any area. |
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SUBCHAPTER B. IMPOSITION OF TAX |
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Sec. 328.0051. TAX AUTHORIZED. (a) Subject to Section |
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328.0052, a qualifying local government by adoption of an ordinance |
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or order may adopt, increase, reduce, or abolish the supplemental |
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sales and use tax. The tax is in addition to any other sales and use |
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tax authorized by law, but may be imposed only during a period |
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during which the qualifying local government does not impose a |
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property tax for purposes of funding the local government's |
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maintenance and operations expenditures. |
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(b) Except as provided by Subchapter C, a qualifying local |
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government is not required to call an election to adopt, increase, |
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reduce, or abolish the supplemental sales and use tax. |
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Sec. 328.0052. TAX RATE; INCREASE, REDUCTION, OR ABOLITION |
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OF TAX. (a) The supplemental sales and use tax rate may not exceed |
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two percent. |
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(b) Subject to Subsection (a), in the first year in which a |
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qualifying local government imposes the supplemental sales and use |
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tax, the rate of the tax is equal to a rate that, when applied to the |
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estimated cumulative sales price of the sale, use, storage, or |
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other consumption of taxable items within the local government |
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during that year, would produce an amount equal to the local |
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government's lost property tax revenue. The ordinance or order |
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authorizing the tax and adopted under Section 328.0051 must specify |
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the tax rate. |
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(c) A qualifying local government that imposes the |
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supplemental sales and use tax may by adoption of an ordinance or |
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order annually increase or reduce the rate of the tax. An increase |
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in the rate of the tax is subject to the limitation prescribed by |
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Subsection (a). A reduction in the rate of the tax may not impair |
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any outstanding debt or other obligation payable from the tax. |
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(d) A qualifying local government that imposes the |
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supplemental sales and use tax may by adoption of an ordinance or |
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order abolish the tax if there is no outstanding debt secured by the |
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tax. |
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(e) A certified copy of an ordinance or order described by |
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this section must be forwarded to the comptroller before June 30 of |
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the year preceding the January 1 on which the action approved in the |
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ordinance or order is to take effect. |
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Sec. 328.0053. SALES AND USE TAX EFFECTIVE DATE. The |
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adoption, increase, reduction, or abolition of the supplemental |
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sales and use tax takes effect on the next January 1 that is at least |
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six months after the date the qualifying local government forwards |
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to the comptroller the copy of the ordinance or order adopting, |
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increasing, reducing, or abolishing the tax, as applicable. |
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SUBCHAPTER C. PETITION FOR ELECTION |
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Sec. 328.0101. PETITION FOR ELECTION. (a) The registered |
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voters of a municipality or county may petition the governing body |
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of the municipality or county to call an election on the question of |
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adoption by the municipality or county of a supplemental sales and |
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use tax. |
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(b) A petition under this section must be: |
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(1) signed by at least 20 percent of the registered |
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voters of the municipality or county; and |
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(2) submitted to the governing body of the |
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municipality or county. |
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(c) The governing body of the municipality or county shall |
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validate the petition not later than the 30th day after the date the |
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petition is submitted to the governing body. |
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Sec. 328.0102. ELECTION. On receipt of a valid petition |
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under Section 328.0101, the governing body of the municipality or |
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county shall adopt an ordinance or order calling an election on the |
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question of adoption by the municipality or county of a |
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supplemental sales and use tax. |
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Sec. 328.0103. ELECTION DATE. An election under this |
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subchapter must be held on the next uniform election date that |
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occurs after the date on which the governing body of the |
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municipality or county adopts the ordinance or order calling the |
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election and that allows sufficient time to comply with the |
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requirements of other law. |
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Sec. 328.0104. BALLOT. At the election, the ballot shall be |
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prepared to permit voting for or against the proposition: |
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"Requiring (name of municipality or county) to adopt a supplemental |
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sales and use tax on the earliest date allowed by law to allow (name |
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of municipality or county) to reduce its maintenance and operations |
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property tax rate to zero." |
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Sec. 328.0105. ELECTION RESULTS. If a majority of the |
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voters voting in the election favor the proposition, the governing |
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body of the municipality or county shall take the actions necessary |
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to become a qualifying local government on the earliest date |
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practicable under this chapter. |
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SUBCHAPTER D. USE OF TAX REVENUE |
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Sec. 328.0151. USE OF TAX REVENUE. Revenue from a |
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supplemental sales and use tax is for the use and benefit of the |
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qualifying local government imposing the tax and may be used for any |
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purpose for which the general funds of the local government may be |
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used. |
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SECTION 2. Section 26.04, Tax Code, is amended by adding |
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Subsection (c-1) to read as follows: |
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(c-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (c), the officer or |
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employee designated by the governing body of a municipality or |
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county that imposes a supplemental sales and use tax under Chapter |
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328 shall calculate only the municipality's or county's current |
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debt rate. |
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SECTION 3. Section 26.05, Tax Code, is amended by adding |
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Subsection (h) to read as follows: |
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(h) For purposes of this chapter, the tax rate of a |
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municipality or county that imposes a supplemental sales and use |
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tax under Chapter 328 is the municipality's or county's current debt |
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rate. |
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SECTION 4. Chapter 26, Tax Code, is amended by adding |
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Section 26.0521 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 26.0521. TAX RATE NOTICE OF MUNICIPALITY OR COUNTY |
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IMPOSING SUPPLEMENTAL SALES AND USE TAX. A municipality or county |
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that imposes a supplemental sales and use tax under Chapter 328: |
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(1) shall provide notice of the municipality's or |
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county's tax rate in the manner provided by Section 26.052 for the |
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proposed tax rate of a taxing unit to which that section applies; |
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and |
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(2) is exempt from notice and publication requirements |
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and is not subject to an injunction to the same extent as provided |
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by Section 26.052(b) for a taxing unit to which that section |
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applies. |
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SECTION 5. Section 26.09, Tax Code, is amended by adding |
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Subsection (f) to read as follows: |
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(f) For purposes of calculating the tax imposed on property |
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by a municipality or county that imposes a supplemental sales and |
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use tax under Chapter 328, the tax rate of the municipality or |
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county is considered to be the municipality's or county's current |
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debt rate. |
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SECTION 6. Notwithstanding Sections 328.0001(2), |
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328.0052(e), and 328.0053, Tax Code, as added by this Act: |
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(1) in 2019, a municipality or county may adopt an |
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ordinance or order adopting a supplemental sales and use tax and |
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forward a certified copy of the ordinance or order to the |
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comptroller of public accounts before December 1 of that year; and |
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(2) a supplemental sales and use tax adopted by a |
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municipality or county under Subdivision (1) of this section takes |
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effect January 1, 2020. |
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SECTION 7. 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, 2019. |