Texas 2017 - 85th 1st C.S.

Texas House Bill HB200 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	85S10759 KJE-F
2	2	By: González of El Paso H.B. No. 200
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 to
17	17	develop and make recommendations for improvements to the public
18	18	school finance system.
19	19	(b) The commission is composed of 18 members, consisting of
20	20	the following:
21	21	(1) three members appointed by the governor;
22	22	(2) five members appointed by the lieutenant governor;
23	23	(3) five members appointed by the speaker of the house
24	24	of representatives;
25	25	(4) the chair of the senate committee on education, or
26	26	a representative designated by the chair;
27	27	(5) the chair of the senate committee on finance, or a
28	28	representative designated by the chair;
29	29	(6) the chair of the house of representatives
30	30	committee on public education, or a representative designated by
31	31	the chair;
32	32	(7) the chair of the house of representatives
33	33	committee on appropriations, or a representative designated by the
34	34	chair; and
35	35	(8) a member of the State Board of Education, as
36	36	designated by the chair of that board.
37	37	(c) In making appointments under Subsections (b)(1), (2),
38	38	and (3), the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the
39	39	house of representatives shall coordinate to ensure that the
40	40	membership of the commission reflects, to the extent possible, the
41	41	ethnic and geographic diversity of this state and includes at least
42	42	one of each of the following representatives:
43	43	(1) an administrator in the public school system;
44	44	(2) an elected member of the board of trustees of a
45	45	school district;
46	46	(3) a public school teacher;
47	47	(4) a parent of a child enrolled in a public school;
48	48	(5) a person specializing in special education;
49	49	(6) a person specializing in bilingual education;
50	50	(7) a person specializing in career and technology
51	51	education;
52	52	(8) a member of the higher education community;
53	53	(9) a member of the business community; and
54	54	(10) a member of the civic community.
55	55	Sec. 42.603. PRESIDING OFFICER. The members of the
56	56	commission shall elect the presiding officer by a majority vote.
57	57	Sec. 42.604. COMPENSATION AND REIMBURSEMENT. A member of
58	58	the commission is not entitled to compensation for service on the
59	59	commission but is entitled to reimbursement for actual and
60	60	necessary expenses incurred in performing commission duties.
61	61	Sec. 42.605. ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT AND FUNDING. (a)
62	62	Staff members of the agency and staff members of the Legislative
63	63	Budget Board shall provide administrative support for the
64	64	commission.
65	65	(b) Funding for the administrative and operational expenses
66	66	of the commission shall be provided by appropriation to the agency
67	67	and to the Legislative Budget Board for that purpose.
68	68	Sec. 42.606. RECOMMENDATIONS. (a) The commission shall
69	69	develop recommendations under this subchapter to address issues
70	70	related to the public school finance system, including:
71	71	(1) the purpose of the public school finance system
72	72	and the relationship between state and local funding in that
73	73	system;
74	74	(2) the appropriate levels of local maintenance and
75	75	operations and interest and sinking fund tax effort necessary to
76	76	implement a public school finance system that complies with the
77	77	requirements under the Texas Constitution;
78	78	(3) the appropriate levels of instructional
79	79	facilities funding; and
80	80	(4) policy changes to the public school finance system
81	81	necessary to adjust for inflation, economic conditions, student
82	82	demographics, and the geographic diversity in the state.
83	83	(b) The commission may establish one or more working groups
84	84	composed of not more than five members of the commission to study,
85	85	discuss, and address specific policy issues and recommendations to
86	86	refer to the commission for consideration.
87	87	Sec. 42.607. REPORT. Not later than December 31, 2018, the
88	88	commission shall prepare and deliver a report to the governor and
89	89	the legislature that recommends statutory changes to improve the
90	90	public school finance system, including any adjustments to funding
91	91	to account for student demographics.
92	92	Sec. 42.608. PUBLIC MEETINGS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION. (a)
93	93	The commission shall hold public meetings as needed to fulfill its
94	94	duties under this subchapter.
95	95	(b) The commission shall make publicly accessible without
96	96	charge:
97	97	(1) live Internet video of all public meetings the
98	98	commission holds; and
99	99	(2) through the Internet, not later than 24 hours
100	100	after each meeting the commission holds, a video recording or other
101	101	electronic visual and audio recording of the meeting.
102	102	(c) The commission is subject to Chapters 551 and 552,
103	103	Government Code.
104	104	Sec. 42.609. COMMISSION ABOLISHED; EXPIRATION OF
105	105	SUBCHAPTER. (a) The commission is abolished January 8, 2019.
106	106	(b) This subchapter expires January 8, 2019.
107	107	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
108	108	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
109	109	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
110	110	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
111	111	Act takes effect on the 91st day after the last day of the
112	112	legislative session.