Bill Text: TX HJR76 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Proposing a constitutional amendment appropriating certain surplus revenue for school district bond debt.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-11-12 - Filed [HJR76 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-HJR76-Introduced.html
| 89R1658 KJE-D | ||
| By: Dorazio | H.J.R. No. 76 | |
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| proposing a constitutional amendment appropriating certain surplus | ||
| revenue for school district bond debt. | ||
| BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Article VII, Texas Constitution, is amended by | ||
| adding Section 3-a to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 3-a. (a) For the state fiscal year beginning September | ||
| 1, 2026, the following amounts of money are appropriated from the | ||
| specified source to the Texas Education Agency or its successor in | ||
| function for distribution to school districts to pay debt service | ||
| on bonds supported by ad valorem taxes as provided by this section: | ||
| (1) an amount of money equal to one-half of the amount | ||
| by which the estimated amount of total available general revenue | ||
| anticipated to be received in the state fiscal biennium beginning | ||
| September 1, 2025, as reported in the statement required of the | ||
| comptroller by Section 49a, Article III, of this constitution, | ||
| exceeds the amount of revenue that may be spent for that biennium in | ||
| accordance with Section 22, Article VIII, of this constitution is | ||
| appropriated from the general revenue fund; and | ||
| (2) an amount of money equal to one-half of the | ||
| unobligated balance of the economic stabilization fund on September | ||
| 1, 2025, is appropriated from the economic stabilization fund. | ||
| (b) Money appropriated by this section shall be distributed | ||
| proportionately to each school district based on the number of | ||
| students enrolled in the district who are lawfully present in the | ||
| United States. | ||
| (c) Subject to Subsection (d) of this section, a school | ||
| district must use money distributed under this section to pay debt | ||
| service on bonds supported by ad valorem taxes, prioritizing bonds | ||
| with the highest interest rates. | ||
| (d) A school district that receives more money under this | ||
| section than the district owes on bonds issued by the district that | ||
| are supported by ad valorem taxes shall use the money in the | ||
| following order: | ||
| (1) to pay off debt attributable to bonds issued by the | ||
| district that are supported by ad valorem taxes, if any; and | ||
| (2) to pay for capital improvements. | ||
| (e) A school district that accepts money distributed under | ||
| this section may not issue bonds supported by ad valorem taxes | ||
| during the 10-year period that begins on the date on which the | ||
| district accepts the money. A school district may decline money | ||
| distributed under this section. | ||
| (f) For purposes of Section 22, Article VIII, of this | ||
| constitution, the appropriation under this section is an | ||
| appropriation of state tax revenues dedicated by this constitution. | ||
| (g) This section expires September 1, 2039. | ||
| SECTION 2. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be | ||
| submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 4, 2025. | ||
| The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the | ||
| proposition: "The constitutional amendment appropriating certain | ||
| surplus revenue for school district bond debt." | ||
