HBA-DMH H.J.R. 66 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.J.R. 66 By: Isett Appropriations 4/16/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE In 1978, voters passed an amendment to the Texas Constitution that placed restrictions on appropriations. Since the passage of that amendment, state spending has continued to increase. In some years, state spending has increased at a faster pace than the economy. Also, Texas is one of the few states that has allowed its budget to grow by more than 30 percent since 1990. As proposed, House Joint Resolution 66 requires the submission to the voters of a constitution amendment limiting the growth of the state budget to the rate of growth of total personal income in the state. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this resolution does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Joint Resolution 66 amends the Texas Constitution prohibit the rate of growth of appropriations in a biennium from all sources of revenue except the federal government from exceeding the estimated rate of growth of total personal income in the state. The resolution removes the provision prohibiting the rate of growth of appropriations in a biennium from state tax revenues not dedicated by the constitution from exceeding the estimated rate of growth of the state's economy. The resolution sets forth the method of calculating the rate of growth of appropriations from the current biennium to the next biennium. The resolution prohibits any bill containing an appropriation of money from any source except the federal government from being considered as passed or from being sent to the governor for consideration until and unless the comptroller of public accounts (comptroller) endorses the comptroller's certificate showing that the appropriation does not contravene the limitation on the rate of growth of appropriations. When the comptroller finds an appropriation bill contains an appropriation that contravenes the limitation on the rate of growth of appropriations, the resolution requires the comptroller to endorse that finding on the bill, return the bill to the house from which it originated, and immediately notify the house of representatives and the senate of the finding. The resolution sets forth a temporary provision restricting the rate of growth of appropriations from all sources of revenue except the federal government to the estimated rate of growth of total personal income in this state. This temporary provision expires September 2, 2003. The resolution increases from a majority to two-thirds of the members of each house the number of votes needed to adopt a resolution approved by a record vote under certain conditions. FOR ELECTION This proposed constitutional amendment shall be submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 6, 2001. The changes made by the resolution apply only in relation to appropriations made for the state fiscal biennium beginning September 1, 2003, and subsequent state fiscal biennia.