By: Kolkhorst, et al. S.B. No. 843
(In the Senate - Filed January 17, 2025; February 13, 2025,
read first time and referred to Committee on Education K-16;
April 16, 2025, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 11, Nays 0; April 16, 2025,
sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 843 By: Hinojosa of Nueces
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to a Texas Education Agency database of school district
bonds, taxes, and bond-related projects.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 45, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 45.114 to read as follows:
Sec. 45.114. BOND, TAX, AND PROJECT DATABASE. (a) In this
section:
(1) "Bond" means a bond described by Section 45.001.
(2) "Database" means the database established under
this section.
(3) "Maintenance tax" means a tax described by Section
45.002.
(b) The agency shall develop and maintain a database that
includes current information regarding school district bonds,
taxes, and bond-related projects, including:
(1) for each bond planned, proposed, or issued by a
school district:
(A) the language of the ballot proposition under
Section 45.003(b);
(B) the projected interest and sinking fund tax
rate associated with a proposed bond;
(C) the result of an election held for the
purpose of issuing a proposed bond;
(D) a list of the projects to be funded using the
bond;
(E) an accounting of the use of the proceeds of
any issued bond, including descriptions of any projects paid for
with the proceeds;
(F) other data related to capital projects, such
as new or renovated facilities, funded wholly or partly using the
bond, including data regarding funding sources for the projects,
project costs, project budget, and project size; and
(G) any increase in the interest and sinking fund
tax rate resulting from issued bonds;
(2) for maintenance taxes that have been levied or
proposed by a school district:
(A) each school district's proposed or approved
tax rate; and
(B) the language of the ballot proposition under
Section 45.003(d);
(3) the results of any election held under Section
26.08, Tax Code, including the ad valorem tax rate proposed by the
school district for purposes of the election;
(4) a report generation function to allow the agency
to generate reports of the information described by Subdivisions
(1) and (2) for each school district, disaggregated by geographic
area; and
(5) a function that allows for the proposal of updates
or corrections to the information included in the database.
(c) A school district shall provide the agency with the
information described by Subsections (b)(1) through (3) and any
other information requested by the agency for the purpose of
maintaining the database established under this section.
(d) The agency may contract with a third party as necessary
for the development or maintenance of the database under this
section.
(e) The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to
implement this section.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
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