Tex. Const. art. III, § 52 · Article 3. LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT
RESTRICTIONS ON LENDING CREDIT OR MAKING GRANTS BY POLITICAL CORPORATIONS OR POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS; AUTHORIZED BONDS; INVESTMENT OF FUNDS.
Text — Current through the amendments approved by voters in November 2025
(a) Except as otherwise provided by this section, the Legislature shall have no power to authorize any county, city, town or other political corporation or subdivision of the State to lend its credit or to grant public money or thing of value in aid of, or to any individual, association or corporation whatsoever, or to become a stockholder in such corporation, association or company. However, this section does not prohibit the use of public funds or credit for the payment of premiums on nonassessable property and casualty, life, health, or accident insurance policies and annuity contracts issued by a mutual insurance company authorized to do business in this State.
(b) Under Legislative provision, any county, political subdivision of a county, number of adjoining counties, political subdivision of the State, or defined district now or hereafter to be described and defined within the State of Texas, and which may or may not include, towns, villages or municipal corporations, upon a vote of two-thirds majority of the voting qualified voters of such district or territory to be affected thereby, may issue bonds or otherwise lend its credit in any amount not to exceed one-fourth of the assessed valuation of the real property of such district or territory, except that the total bonded indebtedness of any city or town shall never exceed the limits imposed by other provisions of this Constitution, and levy and collect taxes to pay the interest thereon and provide a sinking fund for the redemption thereof, as the Legislature may authorize, and in such manner as it may authorize the same, for the following purposes to wit:
(1) The improvement of rivers, creeks, and streams to prevent overflows, and to permit of navigation thereof, or irrigation thereof, or in aid of such purposes.
(2) The construction and maintenance of pools, lakes, reservoirs, dams, canals and waterways for the purposes of irrigation, drainage or navigation, or in aid thereof.
(3) The construction, maintenance and operation of macadamized, graveled or paved roads and turnpikes, or in aid thereof.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection (b) of this Section, bonds may be issued by any county in an amount not to exceed one-fourth of the assessed valuation of the real property in the county, for the construction, maintenance, and operation of macadamized, graveled, or paved roads and turnpikes, or in aid thereof, upon a vote of a majority of the voting qualified voters of the county, and without the necessity of further or amendatory legislation. The county may levy and collect taxes to pay the interest on the bonds as it becomes due and to provide a sinking fund for redemption of the bonds.
(d) Any defined district created under this section that is authorized to issue bonds or otherwise lend its credit for the purposes stated in Subdivisions (1) and (2) of Subsection (b) of this section may engage in fire-fighting activities and may issue bonds or otherwise lend its credit for fire-fighting purposes as provided by law and this constitution.
(e) A county, city, town, or other political corporation or subdivision of the state may invest its funds as authorized by law.
Notes and commentary — not constitutional text
History
(Feb. 15, 1876. Amended Nov. 8, 1904; Subsecs. (a) and (b) amended and (c) added Nov. 3, 1970; Subsec. (d) added Nov. 7, 1978; Subsec. (a) amended Nov. 4, 1986; Subsec. (e) added Nov. 7, 1989; Subsecs. (a), (b), and (c) amended Nov. 2, 1999.) (TEMPORARY TRANSITION PROVISIONS for Sec. 52: See Appendix, Note 1.)
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the amendments approved by voters in November 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CN/htm/CN.3.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 4c86d86cd128f2eae9371372e47ba6300b6013a422c152504e116edb71f6730a
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
Cited by 1,197 provisions
Provisions in this library whose text cites Tex. Const. art. III, § 52; the first 50 in book order. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
The Texas Constitution
- Tex. Const. art. III, § 49-cTEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD; BOND ISSUE; TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT FUND.Printed as Article III, Section 52
- Tex. Const. art. III, § 49-d-1ADDITIONAL TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BONDS.Printed as Article III, Section 52
- Tex. Const. art. XVI, § 30DURATION OF PUBLIC OFFICES; RAILROAD COMMISSION.Printed as Article III, Section 52
- Tex. Const. art. XVI, § 40HOLDING MORE THAN ONE PUBLIC OFFICE; EXCEPTIONS; RIGHT OF OFFICEHOLDER TO VOTE.Printed as Section 52, Article III | Section 52, Article III, of this constitution
Agriculture Code
Education Code
Special District Local Laws Code
Tax Code
- Tex. Tax Code § 1.04DEFINITIONS.Printed as Article III, Section 52, of the Texas Constitution
- Tex. Tax Code § 34.05RESALE BY TAXING UNIT.Printed as Section 52, Article III, Texas Constitution
- Tex. Tax Code § 302.002OTHER TAXES NOT CONSIDERED: CERTAIN HOME-RULE MUNICIPALITIES.Printed as Article III, Section 52, of the Texas Constitution
Transportation Code
- Tex. Transp. Code § 228.254AGREEMENTS BETWEEN AUTHORITY AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES.Printed as Section 52, Article III, Texas Constitution
- Tex. Transp. Code § 257.003ACQUISITION OF ROADS.Printed as Section 52, Article III, Texas Constitution
- Tex. Transp. Code § 257.021ESTABLISHMENT OF ROAD DISTRICTS.Printed as Section 52, Article III, Texas Constitution
- Tex. Transp. Code § 257.023EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN TERRITORY OF EXISTING DISTRICTS FROM ROAD DISTRICT.Printed as Section 52, Article III, Texas Constitution
- Tex. Transp. Code § 257.112BONDS AND TAX AUTHORIZED.Printed as Section 52, Article III, Texas Constitution
- Tex. Transp. Code § 257.121APPLICATION OF COUNTY BOND LAWS.Printed as Section 52, Article III, Texas Constitution
- Tex. Transp. Code § 284.031BONDS AUTHORIZED.Printed as Section 52, Article III, Texas Constitution
- Tex. Transp. Code § 284.034BOND SALE TO PAY OUTSTANDING BONDS.Printed as Section 52, Article III, Texas Constitution
- Tex. Transp. Code § 284.038REVENUE BONDS: AD VALOREM TAX FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION.Printed as Section 52, Article III, Texas Constitution
- Tex. Transp. Code § 364.045COMBINATION BONDS AND AD VALOREM TAX TO FINANCE INTERNATIONAL TOLL BRIDGE OR IMPROVEMENT.Printed as Section 52, Article III, Texas Constitution
- Tex. Transp. Code § 365.037COUNTY AD VALOREM TAX.Printed as Section 52, Article III, of the Texas Constitution
- Tex. Transp. Code § 441.011CREATION; PURPOSE.Printed as Section 52, Article III, Texas Constitution
Water Code
- Tex. Water Code § 30.003DEFINITIONS.Printed as Article III, Section 52 of the Texas Constitution
- Tex. Water Code § 51.011CREATION OF DISTRICT.Printed as Article III, Section 52, of the Texas Constitution
- Tex. Water Code § 51.040CONVERSION OF CERTAIN DISTRICTS INTO DISTRICTS OPERATING UNDER THIS CHAPTER.Printed as Article III, Section 52, of the Texas Constitution
- Tex. Water Code § 51.121PURPOSES OF DISTRICT.Printed as Article III, Section 52, of the Texas Constitution
- Tex. Water Code § 51.401AUTHORITY TO ISSUE BONDS OF DISTRICTS OPERATING UNDER ARTICLE III, SECTION 52, OF THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION.Printed as Article III, Section 52, of the Texas Constitution
- Tex. Water Code § 51.414VOTE AT ELECTION.Printed as Article III, Section 52, of the Texas Constitution
- Tex. Water Code § 54.001DEFINITIONS.Printed as Article III, Section 52, of the Texas Constitution
- Tex. Water Code § 54.234ACQUIRING ROAD POWERS.Printed as Article III, Section 52, Texas Constitution
- Tex. Water Code § 55.021CREATION OF DISTRICT.Printed as Article III, Section 52, of the Texas Constitution
- Tex. Water Code § 55.053CONVERSION OF ARTICLE III, SECTION 52 DISTRICT TO ARTICLE XVI, SECTION 59 DISTRICT.Printed as Article III, Section 52, of the Texas Constitution
- Tex. Water Code § 55.497NECESSARY VOTE.Printed as Article III, Section 52, of the Texas Constitution
- Tex. Water Code § 55.500LIMITATION OF INDEBTEDNESS.Printed as Article III, Section 52, of the Texas Constitution
- Tex. Water Code § 56.011CREATION OF DISTRICT.Printed as Article III, Section 52, of the Texas Constitution
- Tex. Water Code § 56.032AUTHORIZING EXISTING DISTRICTS TO OPERATE UNDER ARTICLE XVI, SECTION 59, OF THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION.Printed as Article III, Section 52, of the Texas Constitution
- Tex. Water Code § 56.202ISSUANCE OF BONDS.Printed as Article III, Section 52, of the Texas Constitution
- Tex. Water Code § 56.242MAINTENANCE TAX.Printed as Article III, Section 52, of the Texas Constitution
- Tex. Water Code § 56.807GOVERNING CONSOLIDATED DISTRICTS; ELECTION OF DIRECTORS.Printed as Section 52, Article III, Texas Constitution
- Tex. Water Code § 58.011CREATION OF DISTRICT.Printed as Article III, Section 52, of the Texas Constitution
- Tex. Water Code § 58.431AUTHORITY TO ISSUE BONDS OF DISTRICTS OPERATING UNDER ARTICLE III, SECTION 52, OF THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION.Printed as Article III, Section 52, of the Texas Constitution
- Tex. Water Code § 58.444VOTE AT ELECTION.Printed as Article III, Section 52, of the Texas Constitution
- Tex. Water Code § 60.121CONVERSION OF DISTRICT.Printed as Article III, Section 52, of the Texas Constitution
- Tex. Water Code § 60.241AUTHORITY TO CONVERT.Printed as Article III, Section 52, of the Texas Constitution
- Tex. Water Code § 61.001DEFINITIONS.Printed as Article III, Section 52, of the Texas Constitution
- Tex. Water Code § 61.021CREATION.Printed as Article III, Section 52 of the Texas Constitution
- Tex. Water Code § 62.291ANNEXATION AUTHORITY.Printed as Article III, Section 52, of the Texas Constitution
- Tex. Water Code § 63.039CONVERSION OF DISTRICT.Printed as Article III, Section 52, of the Texas Constitution
- Tex. Water Code § 63.371ANNEXATION AUTHORITY.Printed as Article III, Section 52 of the Texas Constitution
Every provision that cites Tex. Const. art. III, § 52 (1,197) →
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.