83R10872 KKA-D
By: Kleinschmidt H.B. No. 2574
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to a grant program to encourage certain school districts
to retire debt or make capital improvements.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 41, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 41.014 to read as follows:
Sec. 41.014. GRANT PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
(a) The commissioner shall establish a grant program in accordance
with this section designed to encourage school districts that
experience significant and rapid increases in wealth per student to
retire debt or make appropriate capital improvements for the
benefit of the district.
(b) A school district may apply for a one-year grant during
the first school year that the district is required to take action
to equalize wealth under this chapter if:
(1) the district's taxable property value per student
has at least doubled during a two-year period;
(2) the district is ranked in the top 10 percent of
school districts in this state based on wealth per student; and
(3) during the school year preceding the year of the
application, the district:
(A) did not reduce the district's adopted
maintenance and operations tax rate; and
(B) used maintenance and operations revenue to
retire debt, construct or renovate facilities, increase or upgrade
technology resources, or purchase school buses.
(c) A grant awarded under this section:
(1) may not exceed the amount of maintenance and
operations revenue expended by the district during the preceding
year for a purpose described by Subsection (b)(3)(B); and
(2) may be used only for a purpose described by
Subsection (b)(3)(B).
(d) Grants under this section shall be provided using funds
appropriated for that purpose.
(e) The commissioner shall adopt rules necessary to
implement this section.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2013.