Bill Text: TX HB200 | 2017 | 85th Legislature 1st Special Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the creation of a commission to recommend improvements to the public school finance system.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-08-01 - Left pending in committee [HB200 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB200-Introduced.html
| 85S10759 KJE-F | ||
| By: González of El Paso | H.B. No. 200 | |
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| relating to the creation of a commission to recommend improvements | ||
| to the public school finance system. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Chapter 42, Education Code, is amended by adding | ||
| Subchapter L to read as follows: | ||
| SUBCHAPTER L. TEXAS COMMISSION ON PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE | ||
| Sec. 42.601. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "commission" | ||
| means the Texas Commission on Public School Finance. | ||
| Sec. 42.602. TEXAS COMMISSION ON PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE. | ||
| (a) The Texas Commission on Public School Finance is established to | ||
| develop and make recommendations for improvements to the public | ||
| school finance system. | ||
| (b) The commission is composed of 18 members, consisting of | ||
| the following: | ||
| (1) three members appointed by the governor; | ||
| (2) five members appointed by the lieutenant governor; | ||
| (3) five members appointed by the speaker of the house | ||
| of representatives; | ||
| (4) the chair of the senate committee on education, or | ||
| a representative designated by the chair; | ||
| (5) the chair of the senate committee on finance, or a | ||
| representative designated by the chair; | ||
| (6) the chair of the house of representatives | ||
| committee on public education, or a representative designated by | ||
| the chair; | ||
| (7) the chair of the house of representatives | ||
| committee on appropriations, or a representative designated by the | ||
| chair; and | ||
| (8) a member of the State Board of Education, as | ||
| designated by the chair of that board. | ||
| (c) In making appointments under Subsections (b)(1), (2), | ||
| and (3), the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the | ||
| house of representatives shall coordinate to ensure that the | ||
| membership of the commission reflects, to the extent possible, the | ||
| ethnic and geographic diversity of this state and includes at least | ||
| one of each of the following representatives: | ||
| (1) an administrator in the public school system; | ||
| (2) an elected member of the board of trustees of a | ||
| school district; | ||
| (3) a public school teacher; | ||
| (4) a parent of a child enrolled in a public school; | ||
| (5) a person specializing in special education; | ||
| (6) a person specializing in bilingual education; | ||
| (7) a person specializing in career and technology | ||
| education; | ||
| (8) a member of the higher education community; | ||
| (9) a member of the business community; and | ||
| (10) a member of the civic community. | ||
| Sec. 42.603. PRESIDING OFFICER. The members of the | ||
| commission shall elect the presiding officer by a majority vote. | ||
| Sec. 42.604. COMPENSATION AND REIMBURSEMENT. A member of | ||
| the commission is not entitled to compensation for service on the | ||
| commission but is entitled to reimbursement for actual and | ||
| necessary expenses incurred in performing commission duties. | ||
| Sec. 42.605. ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT AND FUNDING. (a) | ||
| Staff members of the agency and staff members of the Legislative | ||
| Budget Board shall provide administrative support for the | ||
| commission. | ||
| (b) Funding for the administrative and operational expenses | ||
| of the commission shall be provided by appropriation to the agency | ||
| and to the Legislative Budget Board for that purpose. | ||
| Sec. 42.606. RECOMMENDATIONS. (a) The commission shall | ||
| develop recommendations under this subchapter to address issues | ||
| related to the public school finance system, including: | ||
| (1) the purpose of the public school finance system | ||
| and the relationship between state and local funding in that | ||
| system; | ||
| (2) the appropriate levels of local maintenance and | ||
| operations and interest and sinking fund tax effort necessary to | ||
| implement a public school finance system that complies with the | ||
| requirements under the Texas Constitution; | ||
| (3) the appropriate levels of instructional | ||
| facilities funding; and | ||
| (4) policy changes to the public school finance system | ||
| necessary to adjust for inflation, economic conditions, student | ||
| demographics, and the geographic diversity in the state. | ||
| (b) The commission may establish one or more working groups | ||
| composed of not more than five members of the commission to study, | ||
| discuss, and address specific policy issues and recommendations to | ||
| refer to the commission for consideration. | ||
| Sec. 42.607. REPORT. Not later than December 31, 2018, the | ||
| commission shall prepare and deliver a report to the governor and | ||
| the legislature that recommends statutory changes to improve the | ||
| public school finance system, including any adjustments to funding | ||
| to account for student demographics. | ||
| Sec. 42.608. PUBLIC MEETINGS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION. (a) | ||
| The commission shall hold public meetings as needed to fulfill its | ||
| duties under this subchapter. | ||
| (b) The commission shall make publicly accessible without | ||
| charge: | ||
| (1) live Internet video of all public meetings the | ||
| commission holds; and | ||
| (2) through the Internet, not later than 24 hours | ||
| after each meeting the commission holds, a video recording or other | ||
| electronic visual and audio recording of the meeting. | ||
| (c) The commission is subject to Chapters 551 and 552, | ||
| Government Code. | ||
| Sec. 42.609. COMMISSION ABOLISHED; EXPIRATION OF | ||
| SUBCHAPTER. (a) The commission is abolished January 8, 2019. | ||
| (b) This subchapter expires January 8, 2019. | ||
| 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 on the 91st day after the last day of the | ||
| legislative session. | ||
