Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB4465 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	By: Dutton (Senate Sponsor - Taylor) H.B. No. 4465
2		-	(In the Senate - Received from the House May 10, 2021;
3		-	May 10, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on
4		-	Education; May 24, 2021, reported adversely, with favorable
5		-	Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 1;
6		-	May 24, 2021, sent to printer.)
7		-	Click here to see the committee vote
8		-	COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 4465 By: Taylor
	1	+	By: Dutton H.B. No. 4465
9	2
10	3
11	4		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
12	5		AN ACT
13	6		relating to grants and federal disaster relief funds available to
14	7		school districts, open-enrollment charter schools, and regional
15	8		education service centers to provide services to students after a
16	9		disaster in the state of Texas.
17	10		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
18	11		SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, is
19	12		amended by adding Sections 29.926 and 29.927 to read as follows:
20	13		Sec. 29.926. GRANT PROGRAM REGARDING DISASTERS IMPACTING
21	14		STUDENT INSTRUCTION. (a) From funds available for purposes of this
22	15		section and reserved for the state for administrative purposes
23	16		under Section 313, Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental
24	17		Appropriations Act, 2021 (Div. M, Pub. L. No. 116-260, reprinted in
25	18		note, 20 U.S.C. Section 3401), or the American Rescue Plan Act of
26	19		2021 (Pub. L. No. 117-2, reprinted in note, 20 U.S.C. Section
27	20		3401), the commissioner shall establish a grant program to assist
28	21		school districts, open-enrollment charter schools, and regional
29	22		education service centers in overcoming the educational impact
30	23		occurring as a result of a state of disaster as declared by the
31	24		governor under Chapter 418, Government Code. The grant program may
32	25		include:
33	26		(1) extending instructional time;
34	27		(2) broadband grants to ensure that students have
35	28		access to remote instruction;
36	29		(3) innovation in curriculum and instruction;
37	30		(4) improvements in quality of air and water at school
38	31		facilities;
39	32		(5) accelerated learning; and
40	33		(6) comprehensive after-school learning, summer
41	34		learning, or summer enrichment.
42	35		(b) A broadband grant under Subsection (a)(2) may include a
43	36		payment made by the agency, a contractor or subgrantee of the
44	37		agency, a school district, or an open-enrollment charter school to:
45	38		(1) a provider of services or equipment for a student;
46	39		or
47	40		(2) a student's parent to pay a provider of services or
48	41		equipment for the student.
49	42		(c) The commissioner may determine the terms of a grant
50	43		awarded under this section, including:
51	44		(1) limits on the grant amount awarded to a school
52	45		district, open-enrollment charter school, or regional education
53	46		service center; and
54	47		(2) the approved use of grant funds.
55	48		(d) The agency may administer the grant program or contract
56	49		with a regional education service center to administer the grant
57	50		program.
58	51		(e) The commissioner may recover funds not used in
59	52		accordance with the terms of a grant by withholding any state funds
60	53		otherwise due to a school district, open-enrollment charter school,
61	54		or regional education service center that is not complying with the
62	55		terms of the grant.
63	56		(f) The commissioner may seek gifts, grants, and donations
64	57		from any public or private sources, including the federal
65	58		government, for providing grants under this section.
66	59		(g) A decision by the commissioner under this section is
67	60		final and may not be appealed.
68	61		(h) The commissioner may adopt rules to implement this
69	62		section.
70	63		Sec. 29.927. FEDERAL DISASTER RELIEF FUNDS; LOCAL PLAN FOR
71	64		EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS. (a) In this section, "disaster relief funds"
72	65		means federal funds that are:
73	66		(1) made available to the state under:
74	67		(A) Section 313, Coronavirus Response and Relief
75	68		Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (Div. M, Pub. L. No. 116-260,
76	69		reprinted in note, 20 U.S.C. Section 3401); or
77	70		(B) the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Pub. L.
78	71		No. 117-2, reprinted in note, 20 U.S.C. Section 3401); and
79	72		(2) authorized or required to be allocated to local
80	73		education agencies in the state.
81	74		(b) The state shall provide disaster relief funds to school
82	75		districts and charter schools operating under Chapter 12 in
83	76		accordance with the terms of the federal grant program under which
84	77		the funds are received. A waiver of a maintenance of effort
85	78		requirement or other provision of a federal grant requirement does
86	79		not apply to this subsection.
87	80		(c) The board of trustees of a school district or the
88	81		governing body of an open-enrollment charter school that receives
89	82		disaster relief funds under Subsection (b) shall:
90	83		(1) for each school year during which the funds are
91	84		permitted to be expended under the terms of the federal grant
92	85		program under which the funds were received, adopt a local plan
93	86		regarding the expenditure of the funds;
94	87		(2) not later than the beginning of the 2023-2024
95	88		school year, ensure that students in need of remediation are
96	89		identified and receiving appropriate services to perform at grade
97	90		level;
98	91		(3) use the funds in accordance with all requirements
99	92		established by:
100	93		(A) the federal grant program under which the
101	94		funds were received; or
102	95		(B) the United States Department of Education or
103	96		other appropriate federal authority;
104	97		(4) adopt the local plan under Subdivision (1) at a
105	98		public meeting at which the district or school considers any
106	99		recommendations published by the commissioner regarding the use of
107	100		the funds; and
108	101		(5) submit the district's or school's local plan to the
109	102		agency and consider the agency's comments in adopting the
110	103		district's or school's local plan for the following school year.
111	104		(d) A local plan adopted by a school district or
112	105		open-enrollment charter school under Subsection (c)(1) must
113	106		address:
114	107		(1) local needs for extending instructional time;
115	108		(2) measures to ensure access to remote instruction;
116	109		(3) innovation in curriculum and instruction;
117	110		(4) improvements in quality of air and water at school
118		-	facilities;
119		-	(5) accelerated learning; and
120		-	(6) comprehensive after-school learning, summer
121		-	learning, or summer enrichment.
	111	+	facilities; and
	112	+	(5) accelerated learning.
122	113		(e) Funds provided to a school district or open-enrollment
123	114		charter school under this section may not be used to provide a
124	115		general increase in the district's or school's local salary
125	116		schedule but may be used to provide additional compensation for
126	117		staff providing, supporting, or supervising extended instructional
127	118		time.
128	119		(f) The agency shall make publicly available on the agency's
129	120		Internet website each local plan adopted by a school district or
130	121		open-enrollment charter school under Subsection (c)(1).
131	122		(g) Nothing in this section may be construed to limit the
132	123		authority of the commissioner or agency to audit or recover funds in
133	124		accordance with federal law.
134	125		(h) This section expires September 1, 2025.
135	126		SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
136		-	* * * * *