Texas 2019 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3008 Comm Sub / Bill

Filed 04/30/2019

                    86R28177 SOS-D
 By: Talarico, Ashby H.B. No. 3008
 Substitute the following for H.B. No. 3008:
 By:  Bernal C.S.H.B. No. 3008


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to the establishment of a civic education project fund for
 supporting student civic education projects and educator
 professional development related to those projects.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, is
 amended by adding Section 29.919 to read as follows:
 Sec. 29.919.  CIVIC EDUCATION PROJECT FUND. (a)  In this
 section:
 (1)  "Civic education project" means a project that
 includes the concepts of civic engagement and the rights and
 responsibilities of citizenship and may combine out-of-school
 service experience with academic study.
 (2)  "Fund" means the civic education project fund.
 (b)  The civic education project fund is an account in the
 general revenue fund administered by the commissioner.
 (c)  The fund consists of:
 (1)  gifts, grants, or donations to the fund; and
 (2)  beginning September 1, 2021, money appropriated,
 credited, or transferred to the fund by or at the direction of the
 legislature.
 (d)  The fund is established for the purpose of:
 (1)  providing public school students enrolled in the
 fourth or a higher grade who are economically disadvantaged, as
 determined by the commissioner, the opportunity to complete a civic
 education project; and
 (2)  supporting educator professional development to
 assist educators in preparing students described by Subdivision (1)
 to successfully complete a civic education project.
 (e)  Money in the fund may be used only as provided by this
 section.
 (f)  In allocating money from the fund, the commissioner may
 give priority to a school district in which at least 40 percent of
 the students enrolled in the district on September 1 of the school
 year are economically disadvantaged, as determined by the
 commissioner.
 (g)  The commissioner may adopt rules to implement this
 section.
 SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
 Act takes effect September 1, 2019.