Focus Report, Volume 87, Number 1, March 2021 Page: PAGE9
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House Research Organization Page9
W of revenue" up to $200,000, repel invasion, suppress
insurrection, defend the state in war, or for a purpose it
specifically authorizes (Art. 3, sec. 49).
The Legislature may not authorize general obligation or
revenue bonds or large lease-purchase agreements designed
to be repaid from general revenue if the resulting annual debt
service from general revenue would exceed 5 percent of the
average amount of general revenue (excluding funds dedicated
by the Texas Constitution) during the preceding three fiscal
years (Art. 3, sec. 49-j). The limit does not include bonds
that are backed by the full faith and credit of the state and are
reasonably expected to be paid from other revenue sources
and not draw on general revenue.
At the end of fiscal 2020, debt service on outstanding
debt payable from general revenue equaled about 1.23
percent of unrestricted general revenue, according to the
Bond Review Board. The total authorized debt service (issued
and unissued) equaled 2.67 percent of unrestricted general
revenue.
Limit on child welfare spending. The Texas Constitution
limits state spending on assistance to needy children and their
caretakers to no more than 1 percent of the total state budget
in a biennium (Art. 3, sec. 51-a(b)). Federal matching funds
and administrative expenses are not included under this cap,
which was about $2.5 billion for fiscal 2020-21, according to
the LBB. The fiscal 2020-21 budget allocated $86.5 million
to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families grants, which fall
under this limit.
Dedicated revenues and fluds. Discretion in legislative
spending also is restricted by constitutional or statutory
dedications that reserve certain revenue sources for special
purposes or by requirements for the state to comply with
court orders or federal requirements.General revenue dedicated funds are those funds within
the general revenue fund, such as the State Parks Account,
reserved for specific purposes by the Texas Constitution or
specific statutes. Many of these funds have balances carried
over from previous biennia that have been unspent but
counted toward budget certification.
According to the LBB's FiscalSize-up:2020-21
Biennium, 81.7 percent of the general revenue funds and
general revenue dedicated funds appropriated for fiscal 2020-
21 is restricted by various means. Of the general revenue and
general revenue dedicated funds budgeted in fiscal 2020-21:
47 percent is restricted by constitutional or statutory
dedications;
23.4 percent is restricted by federal laws, regulations,
and court decisions; and
11.2 percent is restricted by funding formulas.
After accounting for these restrictions, 18.3 percent of all
general revenue and general revenue dedicated funds in fiscal
2020-21 were available for discretionary spending, according
to the LBB.
The 86th Legislature appropriated $6.2 billion in
general revenue dedicated funds for fiscal 2020-21, a decrease
of $441.7 million from fiscal 2018-19. The comptroller
reported estimated balances of about $5.8 billion across all
general revenue dedicated accounts available to be counted
toward budget certification for 2020-21 general revenue fund
appropriations.
Federal funds. The state's $248.3 billion total
appropriation for fiscal 2020-21 included about $86.5 billion
in federal fund expenditures. Federal funds generally are
granted for specific purposes or with restrictions on how states
may spend them.House Research Organization
Page 9
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Texas. Legislature. House of Representatives. Research Organization. Focus Report, Volume 87, Number 1, March 2021, periodical, March 8, 2021; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1507622/m1/9/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.