The text as introduced · 1,531 words
89R11470 KJE-D
By: Bonnen
H.B. No. 4488
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 allocation of accrued
interest on dedicated 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 or 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 89th
Legislature, Regular Session, 2025, that becomes law and all
dedications or rededications of revenue collected by a state agency
for a particular purpose by an Act of the 89th Legislature, Regular
Session, 2025, that becomes law are abolished on the later of August
31, 2025, 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 89th 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 other revenue dedicated as
described by this section; or
(4) increases in fees or 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 89th Legislature, Regular
Session, 2025, 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 89th Legislature, Regular Session,
2025, 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
89th Legislature, Regular Session, 2025, 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 DEDICATIONS, FUNDS, AND
ACCOUNTS. 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 89th
Legislature, Regular Session, 2025, 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 OR ACCOUNTS.
Section 2 of this Act does not apply to a newly authorized use of
money in a dedicated fund or dedicated account as provided by an Act
of the 89th Legislature, Regular Session, 2025, to the extent:
(1) the fund or account was exempted from abolition by
an Act of the legislature that became law before January 1, 2025;
and
(2) the newly authorized use is within the scope of the
original dedication of the fund or account.
SECTION 9. REALLOCATION OF INTEREST ACCRUED ON CERTAIN
DEDICATED REVENUE. (a) This section applies only to an account in
the general revenue fund:
(1) any part of which Section 403.095, Government
Code, makes available for certification under Section 403.121,
Government Code; and
(2) that is created or re-created by an Act of the 89th
Legislature, Regular Session, 2025.
(b) Except as provided by this Act, all interest and other
earnings that accrue on all revenue held in an account in the
general revenue fund are available for any general governmental
purpose.
(c) Except as provided by this Act, the comptroller shall
deposit all interest and other earnings that accrue on all revenue
held in an account in the general revenue fund to the credit of the
general revenue fund.
SECTION 10. AMENDMENT OF SECTION 403.095, GOVERNMENT CODE.
Effective September 1, 2025, Sections 403.095(b), (d), and (f),
Government Code, are amended 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, 2027 [ 2025 ], are estimated to exceed the amount
appropriated by the General Appropriations Act or other laws
enacted by the 89th [ 88th ] 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 89th [ 88th ]
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.
(f) This section expires September 1, 2027 [ 2025 ].
SECTION 11. AMENDMENT OF SECTION 504.6012, TRANSPORTATION
CODE. Effective September 1, 2025, Section 504.6012,
Transportation Code, is amended to read as follows:
Sec. 504.6012. ELIMINATION OF DEDICATED REVENUE ACCOUNTS;
REVENUES IN TRUST. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, not later
than September 30, 2025 [ 2023 ], the comptroller shall eliminate all
dedicated accounts established for specialty license plates and
shall set aside the balances of those dedicated accounts so that the
balances may be appropriated only for the purposes intended as
provided by the dedications.
(b) On and after September 1, 2025 [ 2023 ], the portion of a
fee payable that is designated for deposit to a dedicated account
shall be paid instead to the credit of an account in a trust fund
created by the comptroller outside the general revenue fund. The
comptroller shall administer the trust fund and accounts and may
allocate the corpus and earnings on each account only in accordance
with the dedications of the revenue deposited to the trust fund
accounts.
SECTION 12. EFFECT OF ACT. (a) This Act prevails over any
other Act of the 89th Legislature, Regular Session, 2025,
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 89th Legislature,
Regular Session, 2025, 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 89th
Legislature, Regular Session, 2025, 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.
(d) This Act prevails over any other Act of the 89th
Legislature, Regular Session, 2025, regardless of the relative
dates of enactment, that purports to allocate interest or other
earnings that accrue on revenue held in an account in the general
revenue fund any part of which Section 403.095, Government Code,
makes available for certification under Section 403.121,
Government Code.
SECTION 13. 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.
Monitoring 