Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB4106 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R2665 KJE-F
2	2	By: Peña H.B. No. 4106
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to state savings and government efficiency achieved
8	8	through a taxpayer savings grant program administered by the
9	9	comptroller of public accounts.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Section 42.253, Education Code, is amended by
12	12	adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows:
13	13	(b-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (b), the commissioner
14	14	shall adjust enrollment estimates and entitlement for each school
15	15	district for each school year based on information provided by the
16	16	comptroller under Section 42.501(f). This subsection expires
17	17	September 1, 2020.
18	18	SECTION 2. Chapter 42, Education Code, is amended by adding
19	19	Subchapter J to read as follows:
20	20	SUBCHAPTER J. TAXPAYER SAVINGS GRANTS
21	21	Sec. 42.501. TAXPAYER SAVINGS GRANT PROGRAM. (a) In this
22	22	section, "eligible student" means a school-age child who resides in
23	23	the state and who:
24	24	(1) is entering kindergarten or first grade;
25	25	(2) attended a public school for all of the academic
26	26	year immediately preceding initial participation in the Taxpayer
27	27	Savings Grant Program; or
28	28	(3) participated in the program in a preceding
29	29	academic year.
30	30	(b) A parent or legal guardian of an eligible student who
31	31	agrees to accept reimbursement in an amount that is less than the
32	32	state average maintenance and operations expenditures per student
33	33	may receive reimbursement from the state for the tuition paid for
34	34	the enrollment of the eligible student at a private school in an
35	35	amount that is the lesser of:
36	36	(1) the tuition paid; or
37	37	(2) 60 percent of the state average maintenance and
38	38	operations expenditures per student.
39	39	(c) Money from the available school fund and federal funds
40	40	may not be used for reimbursement under this section.
41	41	(d) A private school voluntarily selected by a parent for
42	42	the parent's child to attend, with or without governmental
43	43	assistance, may not be required to comply with any state law or rule
44	44	governing the school's educational program that was not in effect
45	45	on January 1, 2015.
46	46	(e) The comptroller shall administer the program and
47	47	provide reimbursement to a parent or legal guardian of an eligible
48	48	student as authorized by this section.
49	49	(f) Not later than October 1 of each year, the comptroller
50	50	shall notify the commissioner and the Legislative Budget Board of
51	51	the number of eligible students likely to participate in the
52	52	program, disaggregated by the school district or open-enrollment
53	53	charter school the eligible students would otherwise attend. Not
54	54	later than March 1 of each year, the comptroller shall provide final
55	55	information to the commissioner and the Legislative Budget Board
56	56	regarding the number of students participating in the program,
57	57	disaggregated in the same manner as the initial information.
58	58	SECTION 3. As soon as practicable, but not later than
59	59	October 15, 2015, the comptroller, in coordination with the
60	60	commissioner of education, shall adopt rules to implement the
61	61	Taxpayer Savings Grant Program under Section 42.501, Education
62	62	Code, as added by this Act, including rules to prevent fraud in
63	63	financial transactions under the program and to determine the net
64	64	savings resulting from implementation of the program. The rules
65	65	must require reconciliation of payments for all grants within the
66	66	same fiscal year or within the first month following the end of the
67	67	fiscal year.
68	68	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.