Texas 2017 - 85th 1st C.S.

Texas House Bill HB191 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	85S10740 KJE-D
2	2	By: King of Parker H.B. No. 191
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the creation of a commission to recommend improvements
8	8	to the public school finance system.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Chapter 42, Education Code, is amended by adding
11	11	Subchapter L to read as follows:
12	12	SUBCHAPTER L. TEXAS COMMISSION ON PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE
13	13	Sec. 42.601. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "commission"
14	14	means the Texas Commission on Public School Finance.
15	15	Sec. 42.602. TEXAS COMMISSION ON PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE.
16	16	(a) The Texas Commission on Public School Finance is established
17	17	to develop and make recommendations for improvements to the current
18	18	public school finance system or for new methods of financing public
19	19	schools.
20	20	(b) The commission is composed of 13 members, consisting of
21	21	the following:
22	22	(1) four members appointed by the governor;
23	23	(2) four members appointed by the lieutenant governor;
24	24	(3) four members appointed by the speaker of the house
25	25	of representatives; and
26	26	(4) a member of the State Board of Education, as
27	27	designated by the chair of that board.
28	28	(c) The members appointed by the governor must have an
29	29	interest in public education and must include at least one member of
30	30	the business community and at least one member of the civic
31	31	community.
32	32	(d) The appointments made by the lieutenant governor and the
33	33	speaker of the house of representatives must each consist of:
34	34	(1) three members of the applicable legislative
35	35	chamber; and
36	36	(2) an administrator in the public school system or an
37	37	elected member of the board of trustees of a school district.
38	38	Sec. 42.603. PRESIDING OFFICER. The governor shall
39	39	designate the presiding officer of the commission.
40	40	Sec. 42.604. COMPENSATION AND REIMBURSEMENT. A member of
41	41	the commission is not entitled to compensation for service on the
42	42	commission but is entitled to reimbursement for actual and
43	43	necessary expenses incurred in performing commission duties.
44	44	Sec. 42.605. ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT AND FUNDING.
45	45	(a) Staff members of the agency shall provide administrative
46	46	support for the commission.
47	47	(b) Funding for the administrative and operational expenses
48	48	of the commission shall be provided by appropriation to the agency
49	49	for that purpose.
50	50	Sec. 42.606. RECOMMENDATIONS. (a) The commission shall
51	51	develop recommendations under this subchapter to address issues
52	52	related to the public school finance system, including:
53	53	(1) the purpose of the public school finance system
54	54	and the relationship between state and local funding in that
55	55	system;
56	56	(2) the appropriate levels of local maintenance and
57	57	operations and interest and sinking fund tax effort necessary to
58	58	implement a public school finance system that complies with the
59	59	requirements under the Texas Constitution; and
60	60	(3) policy changes to the public school finance system
61	61	necessary to adjust for student demographics and the geographic
62	62	diversity in the state.
63	63	(b) The commission may establish one or more working groups
64	64	composed of not more than five members of the commission to study,
65	65	discuss, and address specific policy issues and recommendations to
66	66	refer to the commission for consideration.
67	67	Sec. 42.607. REPORT. Not later than December 31, 2018, the
68	68	commission shall prepare and deliver a report to the governor and
69	69	the legislature that recommends statutory changes to improve the
70	70	public school finance system, including any adjustments to funding
71	71	to account for student demographics.
72	72	Sec. 42.608. PUBLIC MEETINGS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION.
73	73	(a) The commission may hold public meetings as needed to fulfill
74	74	its duties under this subchapter.
75	75	(b) The commission is subject to Chapters 551 and 552,
76	76	Government Code.
77	77	Sec. 42.609. COMMISSION ABOLISHED; EXPIRATION OF
78	78	SUBCHAPTER. (a) The commission is abolished January 8, 2019.
79	79	(b) This subchapter expires January 8, 2019.
80	80	SECTION 2. Not later than the 30th day after the effective
81	81	date of this Act, the appropriate persons shall make the
82	82	appointments and designations required by Section 42.602,
83	83	Education Code, as added by this Act.
84	84	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
85	85	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
86	86	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
87	87	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
88	88	Act takes effect on the 91st day after the last day of the
89	89	legislative session.