Bill Text: TX HJR170 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Proposing a constitutional amendment creating the state school safety fund to provide financial support for projects that enhance the safety of public schools in this state.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2023-05-02 - Referred to Education [HJR170 Detail]

Download: Texas-2023-HJR170-Introduced.html

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By: King of Hemphill H.J.R. No. 170

A JOINT RESOLUTION
proposing a constitutional amendment creating the State School
Safety Fund to provide financial support for projects that enhance
the safety of schools in this state.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Article VII, Texas Constitution, is amended by
amending Section 7 to read as follows:
Sec. 7. (a) The State School Safety Fund is created as a
special fund in the state treasury outside the general revenue
fund. Money in the State School Safety Fund shall be administered,
without further appropriation, by the Texas Permanent School Fund
Corporation or that corporation's successor in function. In
accordance with general law, the State School Safety Fund may be
used only to support projects to enhance the safety of schools in
this state, including projects ensure schools meet school safety
standards as determined by the Texas Education Agency. Separate
accounts may be established in the State School Safety Fund as
necessary or convenient to administer the fund or the supported
projects. The financial assistance authorized by this section may
be provided directly to independent school districts and
open-enrollment charter schools as provided by general law.
(b) The legislature by general law may authorize the Texas
Permanent School Fund Corporation or that corporation's successor
in function to use the State School Safety Fund to provide financial
assistance, including by direct grant, for projects that enhance
the safety of schools in this state.
(c) The State School Safety Fund consists of:
(1) money appropriated to the fund;
(2) money transferred or deposited to the credit of
the fund by general law, including money from any source
transferred or deposited to the credit of the fund at the discretion
of the Texas Permanent School Fund Corporation or that
corporation's successor in function as authorized by general law;
(3) revenue from any source, including the proceeds of
any fee or tax imposed by this state, that the legislature by
statute dedicates for deposit to the credit of the fund;
(4) investment earnings and interest earned on amounts
credited to the fund;
(5) surplus funds identified in any fiscal year from
the Foundation School Program, and
(6) money transferred to the fund from another fund or
account to which money from the fund was transferred, as authorized
by general law.
(d) The legislature by general law shall provide for the
manner in which the assets of the State School Safety Fund may be
used, subject to the limitations provided by this section. The
legislature by general law may provide for costs of investment and
administration of the State School Safety Fund to be paid from that
fund.
(e) For the purposes of Section 22 , Article VIII, of this
constitution, an appropriation of money from the economic
stabilization fund for the purpose of depositing that money to the
credit of the State School Safety Fund is considered to be an
appropriation of state tax revenues dedicated by this constitution.
(f) This section is intended to establish a basic framework
of the State School Safety Fund, and the legislature by general law
may provide for the implementation and effectuate the design and
objects of this section and may delegate duties, responsibilities,
functions, and authority to the Texas Permanent School Fund
Corporation or that corporation's successor in function for those
purposes.
SECTION 2. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be
submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 7, 2023.
The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the
proposition: "The constitutional amendment creating the State
School Safety Fund to provide financial support for projects that
enhance the safety in schools in this state."