Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB2144 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		By: Taylor of Galveston, et al. S.B. No. 2144
2		-	(Huberty)
3	2
4	3
5	4		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	5		AN ACT
7	6		relating to the creation of a commission to recommend improvements
8	7		to the public school finance system.
9	8		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	9		SECTION 1. Chapter 42, Education Code, is amended by adding
11	10		Subchapter L to read as follows:
12	11		SUBCHAPTER L. TEXAS COMMISSION ON PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE
13	12		Sec. 42.601. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "commission"
14	13		means the Texas Commission on Public School Finance.
15	14		Sec. 42.602. TEXAS COMMISSION ON PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE.
16	15		(a) The Texas Commission on Public School Finance is established
17	16		to develop and make recommendations for improvements to the current
18	17		public school finance system or for new methods of financing public
19	18		schools.
20	19		(b) The commission is composed of 15 members, consisting of
21	20		the following:
22	21		(1) four members appointed by the governor;
23	22		(2) three members appointed by the lieutenant
24	23		governor;
25	24		(3) three members appointed by the speaker of the
26	25		house of representatives;
27	26		(4) the chair of the senate committee on education, or
28	27		a representative designated by the chair;
29	28		(5) the chair of the senate committee on finance, or a
30	29		representative designated by the chair;
31	30		(6) the chair of the house of representatives
32	31		committee on public education, or a representative designated by
33	32		the chair;
34	33		(7) the chair of the house of representatives
35	34		committee on appropriations, or a representative designated by the
36	35		chair; and
37	36		(8) a member of the State Board of Education, as
38	37		designated by the chair of that board.
39	38		(c) In making appointments under Subsections (b)(1), (2),
40	39		and (3), the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the
41	40		house of representatives shall coordinate to ensure that the
42	41		membership of the commission reflects, to the extent possible, the
43	42		ethnic diversity of this state and includes at least one of each of
44	43		the following representatives:
45	44		(1) an administrator in the public school system or an
46	45		elected member of the board of trustees of a school district;
47	46		(2) a member of the business community; and
48	47		(3) a member of the civic community.
49	48		Sec. 42.603. PRESIDING OFFICER. The governor shall
50	49		designate the presiding officer of the commission.
51	50		Sec. 42.604. COMPENSATION AND REIMBURSEMENT. A member of
52	51		the commission is not entitled to compensation for service on the
53	52		commission but is entitled to reimbursement for actual and
54	53		necessary expenses incurred in performing commission duties.
55	54		Sec. 42.605. ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT AND FUNDING.
56	55		(a) Staff members of the agency shall provide administrative
57	56		support for the commission.
58	57		(b) Funding for the administrative and operational expenses
59	58		of the commission shall be provided by appropriation to the agency
60	59		for that purpose.
61	60		Sec. 42.606. RECOMMENDATIONS. (a) The commission shall
62	61		develop recommendations under this subchapter to address issues
63	62		related to the public school finance system, including:
64	63		(1) the purpose of the public school finance system
65	64		and the relationship between state and local funding in that
66	65		system;
67	66		(2) the appropriate levels of local maintenance and
68	67		operations and interest and sinking fund tax effort necessary to
69	68		implement a public school finance system that complies with the
70	69		requirements under the Texas Constitution; and
71	70		(3) policy changes to the public school finance system
72	71		necessary to adjust for student demographics and the geographic
73	72		diversity in the state.
74	73		(b) The commission may establish one or more working groups
75	74		composed of not more than five members of the commission to study,
76	75		discuss, and address specific policy issues and recommendations to
77	76		refer to the commission for consideration.
78	77		Sec. 42.607. REPORT. Not later than December 31, 2018, the
79	78		commission shall prepare and deliver a report to the governor and
80	79		the legislature that recommends statutory changes to improve the
81	80		public school finance system, including any adjustments to funding
82	81		to account for student demographics.
83	82		Sec. 42.608. PUBLIC MEETINGS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION.
84	83		(a) The commission may hold public meetings as needed to fulfill
85	84		its duties under this subchapter.
86	85		(b) The commission is subject to Chapters 551 and 552,
87	86		Government Code.
88	87		Sec. 42.609. COMMISSION ABOLISHED; EXPIRATION OF
89	88		SUBCHAPTER. (a) The commission is abolished January 8, 2019.
90	89		(b) This subchapter expires January 8, 2019.
91	90		SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
92	91		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
93	92		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
94	93		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
95	94		Act takes effect September 1, 2017.