Sec. 49-l.  FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO COUNTIES FOR ROADWAY PROJECTS TO SERVE BORDER COLONIAS.  (a) To fund financial assistance to counties for roadways to serve border colonias, the legislature by general law may authorize the governor to authorize the Texas Public Finance Authority or its successor to issue general obligation bonds or notes of the State of Texas in an aggregate amount not to exceed $175 million and to enter into related credit agreements.  Except as provided by Subsection (c) of this section, the proceeds from the sale of the bonds and notes may be used only to provide financial assistance to counties for projects to provide access roads to connect border colonias with public roads.  Projects may include the construction of colonia access roads, the acquisition of materials used in maintaining colonia access roads, and projects related to the construction of colonia access roads, such as projects for the drainage of the roads.
(b)  The Texas Transportation Commission may, in its discretion and in consultation with the office of the governor, determine what constitutes a border colonia for purposes of selecting the counties and projects that may receive assistance under this section.
(c)  A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the bonds and notes and a portion of the interest earned on the bonds and notes may be used to pay:
(1)  the costs of administering projects authorized under this section; and
(2)  all or part of a payment owed or to be owed under a credit agreement.
(d)  The bonds and notes authorized under this section constitute a general obligation of the state.  While any of the bonds or notes or interest on the bonds or notes is outstanding and unpaid, there is appropriated out of the general revenue fund in each fiscal year an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds and notes that mature or become due during the fiscal year, including an amount sufficient to make payments under a related credit agreement.  
(Added Nov. 6, 2001.)