By: Otto, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Hinojosa) H.B. No. 6
         (In the Senate - Received from the House April 29, 2015;
  May 6, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on Finance;
  May 24, 2015, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
  Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 13, Nays 0; May 24, 2015,
  sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 6 By:  Hinojosa
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the creation and re-creation of funds and accounts, the
  dedication and rededication of revenue, and the exemption of
  unappropriated money from use for general governmental purposes.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  DEFINITION.  In any provision of this Act that
  does not amend current law, "state agency" means an office,
  institution, or other agency that is in the executive branch or the
  judicial branch of state government, has authority that is not
  limited to a geographical portion of the state, and was created by
  the constitution or a statute of this state. The term does not
  include an institution of higher education as defined by Section
  61.003, Education Code.
         SECTION 2.  ABOLITION OF FUNDS, ACCOUNTS, AND DEDICATIONS.  
  Except as otherwise specifically provided by this Act, all funds
  and accounts created or re-created by an Act of the 84th
  Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, that becomes law and all
  dedications or rededications of revenue collected by a state agency
  for a particular purpose by an Act of the 84th Legislature, Regular
  Session, 2015, that becomes law are abolished on the later of August
  31, 2015, or the date the Act creating or re-creating the fund or
  account or dedicating or rededicating revenue takes effect.
         SECTION 3.  PREVIOUSLY EXEMPT DEDICATIONS, FUNDS, AND
  ACCOUNTS.  Section 2 of this Act does not apply to:
               (1)  statutory dedications, funds, and accounts that
  were enacted before the 84th Legislature convened to comply with
  requirements of state constitutional or federal law;
               (2)  dedications, funds, or accounts that remained
  exempt from former Section 403.094(h), Government Code, at the time
  dedications, accounts, and funds were abolished under that
  provision;
               (3)  increases in fees or in other revenue dedicated as
  described by this section; or
               (4)  increases in fees or in other revenue required to
  be deposited in a fund or account described by this section.
         SECTION 4.  FEDERAL FUNDS. Section 2 of this Act does not
  apply to funds created under an Act of the 84th Legislature, Regular
  Session, 2015, for which separate accounting is required by federal
  law, except that the funds shall be deposited in accounts in the
  general revenue fund unless otherwise required by federal law.
         SECTION 5.  TRUST FUNDS.  Section 2 of this Act does not
  apply to trust funds or dedicated revenue deposited to trust funds
  created under an Act of the 84th Legislature, Regular Session,
  2015, except that the trust funds shall be held in the state
  treasury, with the comptroller in trust, or outside the state
  treasury with the comptroller's approval.
         SECTION 6.  BOND FUNDS. Section 2 of this Act does not apply
  to bond funds and pledged funds created or affected by an Act of the
  84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, except that the funds
  shall be held in the state treasury, with the comptroller in trust,
  or outside the state treasury with the comptroller's approval.
         SECTION 7.  CONSTITUTIONAL FUNDS. Section 2 of this Act does
  not apply to funds or accounts that would be created or re-created
  by the Texas Constitution or revenue that would be dedicated or
  rededicated by the Texas Constitution under a constitutional
  amendment proposed by the 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015,
  or to dedicated revenue deposited to funds or accounts that would be
  so created or re-created, if the constitutional amendment is
  approved by the voters.
         SECTION 8.  ADDITIONAL USES FOR DEDICATED FUNDS, ACCOUNTS,
  OR REVENUE.  Section 2 of this Act does not apply to a newly
  authorized dedication of or use of a dedicated fund, a dedicated
  account, or dedicated revenue as provided by an Act of the 84th
  Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, to the extent that Act affects
  a fund, an account, or revenue that was exempted from funds
  consolidation before January 1, 2015.  A dedicated fund, a
  dedicated account, or dedicated revenue that was exempted from
  funds consolidation before January 1, 2015, may be used as an Act of
  the 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, provides, and a change
  in the name or authorized use of a previously exempted dedicated
  fund or account does not affect the fund's or account's dedicated
  nature.
         SECTION 9.  TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES FUND.  On
  September 1, 2015, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles fund
  created by Section 1001.151, Transportation Code, as enacted by
  Section 71, Chapter 1287 (H.B. 2202), Acts of the 83rd Legislature,
  Regular Session 2013, is re-created by this Act as a special fund in
  the state treasury outside the general revenue fund, and all
  revenue dedicated for deposit to the credit of the Texas Department
  of Motor Vehicles fund by a provision of Chapter 1287 (H.B. 2202),
  Acts of the 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, is rededicated
  by this Act for that purpose.  Section 2 of this Act does not apply
  to the fund as re-created by this Act or a dedication of revenue to
  the fund as rededicated by this Act.
         SECTION 10.  ENVIRONMENTAL RADIATION AND PERPETUAL CARE
  ACCOUNT.  On September 1, 2015, the environmental radiation and
  perpetual care account created by Section 401.306, Health and
  Safety Code, as enacted by Section 12, Chapter 1159 (S.B. 347), Acts
  of the 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, is re-created by
  this Act as an account in the general revenue fund, and all revenue
  dedicated for deposit to the credit of the environmental radiation
  and perpetual care account by a provision of Chapter 1159 (S.B.
  347), Acts of the 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, is
  rededicated by this Act for that purpose.  Section 2 of this Act
  does not apply to the account as re-created by this Act or a
  dedication of revenue to the account as rededicated by this Act.
         SECTION 11.  SPECIAL FUND FOR MONEY RECEIVED FROM FEDERAL
  GOVERNMENT.  Section 2 of this Act does not apply to a special fund
  in the state treasury established by the comptroller of public
  accounts for the purpose of holding money received from the federal
  government as authorized by House Bill No. 8, or by similar
  legislation of the 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, that
  becomes law.
         SECTION 12.  AMENDMENT OF SECTION 403.095, GOVERNMENT CODE.  
  Effective September 1, 2015, Section 403.095, Government Code, is
  amended by amending Subsections (b), (d), and (e) and adding
  Subsection (f) to read as follows:
         (b)  Notwithstanding any law dedicating or setting aside
  revenue for a particular purpose or entity, dedicated revenues that
  on August 31, 2017 [2015], are estimated to exceed the amount
  appropriated by the General Appropriations Act or other laws
  enacted by the 84th [83rd] Legislature are available for general
  governmental purposes and are considered available for the purpose
  of certification under Section 403.121.
         (d)  Following certification of the General Appropriations
  Act and other appropriations measures enacted by the 84th [83rd]
  Legislature, the comptroller shall reduce each dedicated account as
  directed by the legislature by an amount that may not exceed the
  amount by which estimated revenues and unobligated balances exceed
  appropriations.  The reductions may be made in the amounts and at
  the times necessary for cash flow considerations to allow all the
  dedicated accounts to maintain adequate cash balances to transact
  routine business.  The legislature may authorize, in the General
  Appropriations Act, the temporary delay of the excess balance
  reduction required under this subsection.  This subsection does not
  apply to revenues or balances in:
               (1)  funds outside the treasury;
               (2)  trust funds, which for purposes of this section
  include funds that may or are required to be used in whole or in part
  for the acquisition, development, construction, or maintenance of
  state and local government infrastructures, recreational
  facilities, or natural resource conservation facilities;
               (3)  funds created by the constitution or a court; or
               (4)  funds for which separate accounting is required by
  federal law.
         (e)  This section expires September 1, 2017 [2015].
         SECTION 13.  EFFECT OF ACT.  (a)  This Act prevails over any
  other Act of the 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015,
  regardless of the relative dates of enactment, that purports to
  create or re-create a special fund or account or to dedicate or
  rededicate revenue to a particular purpose, including any fund,
  account, or revenue dedication abolished under former Section
  403.094, Government Code.
         (b)  An exemption from the application of Section 403.095,
  Government Code, contained in another Act of the 84th Legislature,
  Regular Session, 2015, that is exempted from the application of
  Section 2 of this Act has no effect.
         (c)  Revenue that, under the terms of another Act of the 84th
  Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, would be deposited to the
  credit of a special account or fund shall be deposited to the credit
  of the undedicated portion of the general revenue fund unless the
  fund, account, or dedication is exempted under this Act.
         SECTION 14.  EFFECTIVE DATE.  Except as otherwise provided
  by this Act:
               (1)  this Act takes effect immediately if this Act
  receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each
  house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution;
  and
               (2)  if this Act does not receive the vote necessary for
  immediate effect, this Act takes effect on the 91st day after the
  last day of the legislative session.
 
  * * * * *