Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1318 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	By: Taylor of Collin S.B. No. 1318
2		-	(Parker)
	1	+	S.B. No. 1318
3	2
4	3
5		-	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	4		AN ACT
7	5		relating to designation of mathematics innovation zones by the
8	6		commissioner of education and to the establishment of pay for
9	7		success programs to provide necessary funding.
10	8		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	9		SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is
12	10		amended by adding Section 28.020 to read as follows:
13	11		Sec. 28.020. MATHEMATICS INNOVATION ZONES. (a) The
14	12		commissioner may:
15	13		(1) on application of a school district or
16	14		open-enrollment charter school, designate a campus of the district
17	15		or school as a mathematics innovation zone; and
18	16		(2) from funds appropriated or donated for purposes of
19	17		this section, award a grant to support implementation of innovative
20	18		mathematics instruction at the campus in accordance with this
21	19		section.
22	20		(a-1) The total amount of grants awarded under this section
23	21		during the state fiscal biennium ending August 31, 2019, may not
24	22		exceed $12.5 million. This subsection expires December 1, 2019.
25	23		(b) A campus designated as a mathematics innovation zone
26	24		must:
27	25		(1) implement with fidelity an innovative mathematics
28	26		instructional program approved by the commissioner for purposes of
29	27		this section that addresses the essential knowledge and skills of
30	28		the mathematics curriculum required by Section 28.002;
31	29		(2) comply with objectives, metrics, and other
32	30		mathematics innovation zone requirements imposed by the
33	31		commissioner through rules adopted under Subsection (g); and
34	32		(3) provide all data relating to the mathematics
35	33		innovation zone requested by the agency.
36	34		(c) A campus designated as a mathematics innovation zone is
37	35		not subject to interventions under the state accountability system
38	36		described by Section 39.107(a) or (e) for the first two years of the
39	37		designation, provided that the campus implements the instructional
40	38		program with fidelity and complies with each mathematics innovation
41	39		zone requirement to the satisfaction of the commissioner. The
42	40		period that a campus is exempt from interventions as provided by
43	41		this subsection is not:
44	42		(1) included in calculating consecutive school years
45	43		under Section 39.107(a) or (e); or
46	44		(2) considered a break in consecutive school years of
47	45		unacceptable ratings for purposes of determining the need for
48	46		intervention under Section 39.107(a) or (e).
49	47		(d) The commissioner may revoke designation of a campus as a
50	48		mathematics innovation zone and suspend associated grant funding if
51	49		the commissioner determines that the campus has failed to implement
52	50		the instructional program with fidelity or comply with any
53	51		requirement imposed under this section.
54	52		(e) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may
55	53		use a pay for success program approved by the commissioner under
56	54		Section 44.904 to pay costs associated with designation of a campus
57	55		as a mathematics innovation zone.
58	56		(f) The commissioner may accept gifts, grants, or donations
59	57		from any public or private source for purposes of this section.
60	58		(g) The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to
61	59		administer this section.
62	60		(h) A decision or determination by the commissioner under
63	61		this section is final and may not be appealed.
64	62		SECTION 2. Subchapter Z, Chapter 44, Education Code, is
65	63		amended by adding Section 44.904 to read as follows:
66	64		Sec. 44.904. PAY FOR SUCCESS PROGRAMS. (a) In this
67	65		section, "pay for success program" means a program involving
68	66		private financing under which payments are dependent on achievement
69	67		of measurable outcomes.
70	68		(b) The commissioner may:
71	69		(1) structure and approve pay for success programs for
72	70		use by a school district or open-enrollment charter school;
73	71		(2) evaluate and approve the following participants in
74	72		a pay for success program:
75	73		(A) a private investor;
76	74		(B) an education service provider; and
77	75		(C) a third-party evaluator; and
78	76		(3) require an approved participant to comply with the
79	77		objectives, metrics, and other pay for success program requirements
80	78		prescribed by the commissioner.
81	79		(c) In evaluating a potential participant under Subsection
82	80		(b)(2), the commissioner may:
83	81		(1) verify the availability and liquidity of the
84	82		investment funds of a private investor;
85	83		(2) evaluate the credentials and effectiveness of an
86	84		education service provider; and
87	85		(3) evaluate the credentials and independence of a
88	86		third-party evaluator.
89	87		(d) Notwithstanding any other law, a school district or
90	88		open-enrollment charter school that uses a pay for success program
91	89		approved by the commissioner is not subject to state procurement
92	90		requirements that would otherwise apply to the activity funded
93	91		through the program.
94	92		(e) The commissioner, the agency, and agency employees are
95	93		immune from liability for actions associated with the structuring,
96	94		approval, or implementation of a pay for success program.
97	95		(f) The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to
98	96		implement this section.
99	97		SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
	98	+	______________________________ ______________________________
	99	+	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
	100	+	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1318 passed the Senate on
	101	+	May 4, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
	102	+	______________________________
	103	+	Secretary of the Senate
	104	+	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1318 passed the House on
	105	+	May 23, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 146, Nays 0, one
	106	+	present not voting.
	107	+	______________________________
	108	+	Chief Clerk of the House
	109	+	Approved:
	110	+	______________________________
	111	+	Date
	112	+	______________________________
	113	+	Governor