Texas 2017 - 85th 1st C.S.

Texas Senate Bill SB16 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	85S12272 KJE-D
2	1		By: Taylor of Galveston, et al. S.B. No. 16
3		-	(King of Parker)
4		-	Substitute the following for S.B. No. 16: No.
5	2
6	3
7	4		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	5		AN ACT
9	6		relating to the creation of a commission to recommend improvements
10	7		to the public school finance system.
11	8		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	9		SECTION 1. Chapter 42, Education Code, is amended by adding
13	10		Subchapter L to read as follows:
14	11		SUBCHAPTER L. TEXAS COMMISSION ON PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE
15	12		Sec. 42.601. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "commission"
16	13		means the Texas Commission on Public School Finance.
17	14		Sec. 42.602. TEXAS COMMISSION ON PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE.
18	15		(a) The Texas Commission on Public School Finance is established
19	16		to develop and make recommendations for improvements to the current
20	17		public school finance system or for new methods of financing public
21	18		schools.
22		-	(b) The commission is composed of 15 members, consisting of
	19	+	(b) The commission is composed of 13 members, consisting of
23	20		the following:
24		-	(1) five members appointed by the governor;
25		-	(2) five members appointed by the lieutenant governor;
26		-	and
27		-	(3) five members appointed by the speaker of the house
28		-	of representatives.
29		-	(c) The members appointed by the governor must have a
30		-	background in public education and include:
31		-	(1) an administrator in the public school system;
32		-	(2) a person with a substantive background in state
33		-	and local taxation;
34		-	(3) a member of the business community; and
35		-	(4) a member of the civic community.
	21	+	(1) four members appointed by the governor;
	22	+	(2) four members appointed by the lieutenant governor;
	23	+	(3) four members appointed by the speaker of the house
	24	+	of representatives; and
	25	+	(4) a member of the State Board of Education, as
	26	+	designated by the chair of that board.
	27	+	(c) The members appointed by the governor must have an
	28	+	interest in public education and include at least:
	29	+	(1) one person who is a current or retired classroom
	30	+	teacher with at least 10 years of teaching experience;
	31	+	(2) one person who is a member of the business
	32	+	community; and
	33	+	(3) one person who is a member of the civic community.
36	34		(d) The appointments made by the lieutenant governor and the
37	35		speaker of the house of representatives must each consist of:
38	36		(1) three members of the applicable legislative
39		-	chamber, including the presiding officer of the standing committee
40		-	of each chamber with jurisdiction over public education or a
41		-	representative of the presiding officer designated by the presiding
42		-	officer;
	37	+	chamber; and
43	38		(2) an administrator in the public school system or an
44		-	elected member of the board of trustees of a school district; and
45		-	(3) a person who is a current or retired classroom
46		-	teacher with at least 10 years of teaching experience, provided
47		-	that one of the persons appointed under this subdivision must
48		-	specialize or have specialized in special education, bilingual
49		-	education, or career and technology education.
50		-	(e) In making appointments, the governor, lieutenant
51		-	governor, and speaker of the house of representatives shall
52		-	coordinate to ensure that the membership of the commission
53		-	reflects, to the extent possible, the ethnic and geographic
54		-	diversity of this state.
	39	+	elected member of the board of trustees of a school district.
	40	+	(e) In making appointments under Subsections (b)(1), (2),
	41	+	and (3), the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the
	42	+	house of representatives shall coordinate to ensure that the
	43	+	membership of the commission reflects, to the extent possible, the
	44	+	ethnic and geographic diversity of this state.
55	45		Sec. 42.603. PRESIDING OFFICER. The governor shall
56	46		designate the presiding officer of the commission.
57	47		Sec. 42.604. COMPENSATION AND REIMBURSEMENT. A member of
58	48		the commission is not entitled to compensation for service on the
59	49		commission but is entitled to reimbursement for actual and
60	50		necessary expenses incurred in performing commission duties.
61	51		Sec. 42.605. ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT AND FUNDING.
62	52		(a) Staff members of the agency shall provide administrative
63	53		support for the commission.
64	54		(b) Funding for the administrative and operational expenses
65	55		of the commission shall be provided by appropriation to the agency
66	56		for that purpose.
67	57		Sec. 42.606. RECOMMENDATIONS. (a) The commission shall
68	58		develop recommendations under this subchapter to address issues
69	59		related to the public school finance system, including:
70	60		(1) the purpose of the public school finance system
71	61		and the relationship between state and local funding in that
72	62		system;
73	63		(2) the appropriate levels of local maintenance and
74	64		operations and interest and sinking fund tax effort necessary to
75	65		implement a public school finance system that complies with the
76	66		requirements under the Texas Constitution; and
77	67		(3) policy changes to the public school finance system
78	68		necessary to adjust for student demographics and the geographic
79	69		diversity in the state.
80	70		(b) The commission may establish one or more working groups
81	71		composed of not more than five members of the commission to study,
82	72		discuss, and address specific policy issues and recommendations to
83	73		refer to the commission for consideration.
84	74		Sec. 42.607. REPORT. Not later than December 31, 2018, the
85	75		commission shall prepare and deliver a report to the governor and
86	76		the legislature that recommends statutory changes to improve the
87	77		public school finance system, including any adjustments to funding
88	78		to account for student demographics.
89	79		Sec. 42.608. PUBLIC MEETINGS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION.
90	80		(a) The commission may hold public meetings as needed to fulfill
91	81		its duties under this subchapter.
92	82		(b) The commission is subject to Chapters 551 and 552,
93	83		Government Code.
94	84		Sec. 42.609. COMMISSION ABOLISHED; EXPIRATION OF
95	85		SUBCHAPTER. (a) The commission is abolished January 8, 2019.
96	86		(b) This subchapter expires January 8, 2019.
97	87		SECTION 2. Not later than the 30th day after the effective
98	88		date of this Act, the appropriate persons shall make the
99	89		appointments and designations required by Section 42.602,
100	90		Education Code, as added by this Act.
101	91		SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
102	92		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
103	93		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
104	94		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
105	95		Act takes effect on the 91st day after the last day of the
106	96		legislative session.