| 1 | 1 | | 84R9004 CAE-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: King of Hemphill H.B. No. 1801 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to a technology grant to be awarded to public school |
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| 8 | 8 | | districts that have received certain performance ratings. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 32, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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| 11 | 11 | | Subchapter H to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SUBCHAPTER H. TECHNOLOGY GRANT PROGRAM |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 32.351. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM. (a) The |
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| 14 | 14 | | commissioner shall establish a grant program under which a grant is |
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| 15 | 15 | | awarded to a school district that has received a performance rating |
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| 16 | 16 | | of D or F, as provided by Section 39.054, for the preceding school |
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| 17 | 17 | | year. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (b) A school district may apply to the commissioner to |
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| 19 | 19 | | participate in the grant program. In awarding grants under this |
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| 20 | 20 | | subchapter for each school year, the commissioner shall consider |
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| 21 | 21 | | the availability of existing technological equipment to students in |
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| 22 | 22 | | the district. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (c) The commissioner may determine the terms of a grant |
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| 24 | 24 | | awarded under this subchapter, including limits on the grant amount |
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| 25 | 25 | | and the approved uses of grant funds. |
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| 26 | 26 | | Sec. 32.352. FUNDING. The commissioner shall award grants |
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| 27 | 27 | | under this subchapter using funds appropriated for that purpose. |
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| 28 | 28 | | Sec. 32.353. USE OF GRANT FUNDS. A school district may use |
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| 29 | 29 | | a grant awarded under Section 32.351 to expand access to |
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| 30 | 30 | | technologies that are necessary to improve access to high quality |
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| 31 | 31 | | digital learning at campuses in the district, including: |
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| 32 | 32 | | (1) purchasing and maintaining technological |
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| 33 | 33 | | equipment; |
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| 34 | 34 | | (2) providing instruction on the use of technological |
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| 35 | 35 | | equipment; and |
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| 36 | 36 | | (3) increasing the technological literacy of |
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| 37 | 37 | | students. |
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| 38 | 38 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 39 | 39 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 40 | 40 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 41 | 41 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 42 | 42 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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