Bill Text: TX SB21 | 2013 | 83rd Legislature 3rd Special Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to state savings and government efficiency achieved through a taxpayer savings grant program.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 2)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-08-05 - Co-author authorized [SB21 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-SB21-Introduced.html
| By: Campbell | S.B. No. 21 | |
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| relating to state savings and government efficiency achieved | ||
| through a taxpayer savings grant program. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 42.253, Education Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows: | ||
| (b-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (b), the commissioner | ||
| shall adjust enrollment estimates and entitlement for each school | ||
| district for each school year based on information provided by the | ||
| comptroller under Section 42.501(f). This subsection expires | ||
| September 1, 2018. | ||
| SECTION 2. Chapter 42, Education Code, is amended by adding | ||
| Subchapter J to read as follows: | ||
| SUBCHAPTER J. TAXPAYER SAVINGS GRANTS | ||
| Sec. 42.501. TAXPAYER SAVINGS GRANT PROGRAM. (a) In this | ||
| section, "eligible student" means a school-age child who resides in | ||
| the state and who: | ||
| (1) is entering kindergarten or first grade; | ||
| (2) attended a public school for all of the academic | ||
| year immediately preceding initial participation in the Taxpayer | ||
| Savings Grant Program; or | ||
| (3) participated in the program in a preceding | ||
| academic year. | ||
| (b) A parent or legal guardian of an eligible student who | ||
| agrees to accept reimbursement in an amount that is less than the | ||
| state average amount of maintenance and operations expenditures per | ||
| student may receive reimbursement from the state for the tuition | ||
| paid for the enrollment of the eligible student at a private school | ||
| in an amount that is the lesser of: | ||
| (1) the tuition paid; or | ||
| (2) 60 percent of the state average maintenance and | ||
| operations expenditures per student. | ||
| (c) Money from the available school fund and federal funds | ||
| may not be used for reimbursement under this section. | ||
| (d) A private school voluntarily selected by a parent for | ||
| the parent's child to attend, with or without governmental | ||
| assistance, may not be required to comply with any state law or rule | ||
| governing the school's educational program that was not in effect | ||
| on January 1, 2013. | ||
| (e) The comptroller shall provide reimbursement to a parent | ||
| or legal guardian of an eligible student as authorized by this | ||
| section. | ||
| (f) Not later than October 1 of each year, the comptroller | ||
| shall notify the commissioner and the Legislative Budget Board of | ||
| the number of eligible students likely to participate in the | ||
| program, disaggregated by the school district or open-enrollment | ||
| charter school the eligible students would otherwise attend. Not | ||
| later than March 1 of each year, the comptroller shall provide final | ||
| information to the commissioner and the Legislative Budget Board | ||
| regarding the number of students participating in the program, | ||
| disaggregated in the same manner as the initial information. | ||
| SECTION 3. As soon as practicable, but not later than the | ||
| 45th day after the effective date of this Act, the comptroller, in | ||
| coordination with the commissioner of education, shall adopt rules | ||
| to implement the Taxpayer Savings Grant Program under Section | ||
| 42.501, Education Code, as added by this Act, including rules to | ||
| prevent fraud in financial transactions under the program and to | ||
| determine the net savings resulting from implementation of the | ||
| program. | ||
| SECTION 4. Notwithstanding Section 42.501(f), Education | ||
| Code, as added by this Act, the comptroller of public accounts shall | ||
| provide the specified information otherwise due under that | ||
| subsection not later than October 1, 2013, on the earliest date | ||
| before January 1, 2014, that the information is available, | ||
| considering the effective date of this Act and the effective date of | ||
| rules implementing this Act. | ||
| SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013, 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 effect on that | ||
| date, this Act takes effect on the 91st day after the last day of the | ||
| legislative session. | ||
