| 1 | 1 | | 87R2296 CJC-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Lucio S.B. No. 686 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the creation and funding of the Texas student |
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| 8 | 8 | | connectivity account; imposing a fee. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter G, Chapter 48, Education Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 48.304 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 48.304. TEXAS STUDENT CONNECTIVITY ACCOUNT. (a) In |
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| 13 | 13 | | this section: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) "Account" means the Texas student connectivity |
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| 15 | 15 | | account. |
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| 16 | 16 | | (2) "Wireless service provider" and "wireless |
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| 17 | 17 | | telecommunications connection" have the meanings assigned by |
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| 18 | 18 | | Section 771.001, Health and Safety Code. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (b) The Texas student connectivity account is an account in |
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| 20 | 20 | | the general revenue fund administered by the agency. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (c) The account consists of: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (1) money deposited to the credit of the account as |
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| 23 | 23 | | provided by this section or other law; and |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2) gifts, grants, and donations to the account. |
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| 25 | 25 | | (d) A Texas student connectivity fee of $2 is imposed on |
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| 26 | 26 | | each wireless telecommunications connection each month. A wireless |
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| 27 | 27 | | service provider shall: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (1) collect the fee from the provider's subscribers; |
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| 29 | 29 | | and |
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| 30 | 30 | | (2) not later than the 30th day after the last day of |
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| 31 | 31 | | the month during which the fee is collected except as otherwise |
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| 32 | 32 | | provided under Subsection (e), remit the collected fee to the |
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| 33 | 33 | | comptroller, accompanied by a report in a form the comptroller |
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| 34 | 34 | | determines that contains the total amount collected from the |
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| 35 | 35 | | provider's subscribers and remitted by the provider for the report |
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| 36 | 36 | | month. |
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| 37 | 37 | | (e) The comptroller by rule may establish alternative dates |
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| 38 | 38 | | for the remittance of a fee and report under Subsection (d). |
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| 39 | 39 | | (f) The comptroller shall deposit a fee remitted under this |
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| 40 | 40 | | section to the credit of the account. Money in the account may be |
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| 41 | 41 | | appropriated only to the agency to: |
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| 42 | 42 | | (1) provide matching funds necessary to obtain federal |
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| 43 | 43 | | money available to school districts to expand or upgrade broadband |
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| 44 | 44 | | Internet infrastructure, including federal money available under |
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| 45 | 45 | | the Schools and Libraries Program ("E-rate program") as provided by |
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| 46 | 46 | | 47 C.F.R. Part 54, Subpart F; and |
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| 47 | 47 | | (2) reimburse school districts with a high percentage |
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| 48 | 48 | | of economically disadvantaged students for the cost of providing |
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| 49 | 49 | | Internet connectivity or technology to students for educational |
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| 50 | 50 | | purposes. |
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| 51 | 51 | | (g) The commissioner and comptroller may adopt rules to |
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| 52 | 52 | | administer this section. |
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| 53 | 53 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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