§ 3.49-d-8 — TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT FUND II; ADDITIONAL BONDS; SALE, TRANSFER, OR LEASE OF FACILITIES OR PUBLIC WATERS.

Texas § 3.49-d-8

• Jurisdiction: Texas
• Code CN: Texas Constitution

Text

Sec. 49-d-8. TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT FUND II; ADDITIONAL BONDS; SALE, TRANSFER, OR LEASE OF FACILITIES OR PUBLIC WATERS. (a) The Texas Water Development Fund II is in the state treasury as a fund separate and distinct from the Texas Water Development Fund established under Section 49-c of this article. Money in the Texas Water Development Fund II shall be administered without further appropriation by the Texas Water Development Board and shall be used for any one or more of the purposes currently or formerly authorized by Sections 49-c, 49-d, 49-d-1, 49-d-2, 49-d-5, 49-d-6, and 49-d-7 of this article, as determined by the Texas Water Development Board. Separate accounts shall be established in the Texas Water Development Fund II for administering proceedings related to the purposes described in Section 49-d of this article, the purposes described in Subsection (b) of Section 49-d-7 of this article, and all other authorized purposes. The Texas Water Development Board is hereby authorized, at its determination, to issue general obligation bonds for one or more accounts of the Texas Water Development Fund II in an aggregate principal amount equal to the amount of bonds previously authorized pursuant to former Section 49-d-6 and Sections 49-d-2 and 49-d-7 of this article less the amount of bonds issued pursuant to those sections to augment the Texas Water Development Fund and the amount of bonds issued to augment the Texas Water Development Fund II. Nothing in this section, however, shall grant to the Texas Water Development Board the authority to issue bonds in excess of the total amount of those previously authorized bonds or to issue bonds for purposes described in Subsection (b) of Section 49-d-7 of this article in excess of $250 million. The expenses of the Texas Water Development Board in connection with the issuance of bonds for an account of the Texas Water Development Fund II and administration of such account may be paid from money in such account.
(b) The Texas Water Development Board is hereby authorized, at its determination, to issue general obligation bonds for one or more accounts of the Texas Water Development Fund II in order to refund outstanding bonds previously issued to augment the Texas Water Development Fund, as long as the principal amount of the refunding bonds does not exceed the outstanding principal amount of the refunded bonds, and to refund the general obligation of the State of Texas under long-term contracts entered into by the Texas Water Development Board with the United States or any of its agencies under authority granted by Section 49-d of this article, as long as the principal amount of the refunding bonds does not exceed the principal amount of the contractual obligation of the Texas Water Development Board. Money and assets in the Texas Water Development Fund attributable to such refunding bonds shall be transferred to the appropriate account of the Texas Water Development Fund II, as determined by the Texas Water Development Board, to the extent not inconsistent with the proceedings authorizing any outstanding bonds issued to augment the Texas Water Development Fund and the terms of any long-term contracts entered into by the Texas Water Development Board with the United States or any of its agencies. In addition, the Texas Water Development Board may transfer other moneys and assets in the Texas Water Development Fund to the appropriate account of the Texas Water Development Fund II, as determined by the Texas Water Development Board, without the necessity of issuing refunding bonds to effect the transfer, to the extent not inconsistent with the proceedings authorizing any outstanding bonds issued to augment the Texas Water Development Fund. Further, at such time as all bonds issued to augment the Texas Water Development Fund and all such contractual obligations have been paid or otherwise discharged, all money and assets in the Texas Water Development Fund shall be transferred to the credit of the Texas Water Development Fund II and deposited to the accounts therein, as determined by the Texas Water Development Board.
(c) Subject to the limitations set forth in Section 49-d of this article, the legislature shall provide terms and conditions under which the Texas Water Development Board may sell, transfer, or lease, in whole or in part, facilities held for the account established within the Texas Water Development Fund II for administering proceedings related to the purposes described in Section 49-d of this article, and the legislature may provide terms and conditions under which the Texas Water Development Board may sell any unappropriated public waters of the state that may be stored in such facilities. Money received from any sale, transfer, or lease of such facilities or water shall be credited to the account established within the Texas Water Development Fund II for the purpose of administering proceedings related to the purposes described in Section 49-d of this article.
(d) Each account of the Texas Water Development Fund II shall consist of:
(1) the Texas Water Development Board's rights to receive repayment of financial assistance provided from such account, together with any evidence of such rights;
(2) money received from the sale or other disposition of the Texas Water Development Board's rights to receive repayment of such financial assistance;
(3) money received as repayment of such financial assistance;
(4) money and assets attributable to bonds issued and sold by the Texas Water Development Board for such account, including money and assets transferred from the Texas Water Development Fund pursuant to this section;
(5) money deposited in such account pursuant to Subsection (c) of this section;
(6) payments received by the Texas Water Development Board under a bond enhancement agreement as authorized by law with respect to bonds issued for such account; and
(7) interest and other income received from investment of money in such account.
(e) Notwithstanding the other provisions of this article, the principal of and interest on the general obligation bonds issued for an account of the Texas Water Development Fund II, including payments by the Texas Water Development Board under a bond enhancement agreement as authorized by law with respect to principal of or interest on such bonds, shall be paid out of such account, but the money in such account that is not immediately committed to the purposes of such account or the payment of expenses may be invested as authorized by law until the money is needed for those purposes. If there is not enough money in any account available to pay the principal of and interest on the general obligation bonds issued for such account, including money to make payments by the Texas Water Development Board under a bond enhancement agreement as authorized by law with respect to principal of or interest on such bonds, there is appropriated out of the first money coming into the state treasury in each fiscal year not otherwise appropriated by this constitution an amount that is sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on such general obligation bonds that mature or become due during that fiscal year or to make bond enhancement payments with respect to those bonds.
(f) The general obligation bonds authorized by this section may be issued as bonds, notes, or other obligations as permitted by law and shall be sold in forms and denominations, on terms, at times, in the manner, at places, and in installments, all as determined by the Texas Water Development Board. The bonds shall bear a rate or rates of interest the Texas Water Development Board determines. The bonds authorized by this section shall be incontestable after execution by the Texas Water Development Board, approval by the attorney general, and delivery to the purchaser or purchasers of the bonds.
(g) This section being intended only to establish a basic framework and not to be a comprehensive treatment of the Texas Water Development Fund II, there is hereby reposed in the legislature full power to implement and effectuate the design and objects of this section, including the power to delegate such duties, responsibilities, functions, and authority to the Texas Water Development Board as it believes necessary.
(h) The Texas Water Development Fund II, including any account in that fund, may not be used to finance or aid any project that contemplates or results in the removal from the basin of origin of any surface water necessary to supply the reasonably foreseeable future water requirements for the next ensuing 50-year period within the river basin of origin, except on a temporary, interim basis.
(Added Nov. 4, 1997; Subsecs. (a), (b), and (e) amended Nov. 2, 1999.) (TEMPORARY TRANSITION PROVISIONS for Sec. 49-d-8: See Appendix, Note 1.)