H.B. No. 1029 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the creation of the Texas interactive multimedia 1-3 communications fund; regulating interactive multimedia 1-4 communications services and equipment. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 14, Education Code, is 1-7 amended by adding Section 14.0451 to read as follows: 1-8 Sec. 14.0451. TEXAS INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA COMMUNICATIONS 1-9 FUND DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM. (a) In this section: 1-10 (1) "Interactive multimedia communications" means 1-11 real-time, two-way, interactive voice, video, and data 1-12 communications conducted over networks that link geographically 1-13 dispersed locations. 1-14 (2) "Fund" means the Texas interactive multimedia 1-15 communications fund. 1-16 (b) The purpose of this section is to establish, as one of 1-17 the demonstration programs authorized under Section 14.045 of this 1-18 code, a Texas interactive multimedia communications fund to: 1-19 (1) provide substantially equal access for students 1-20 throughout the state to instruction of high quality in all courses 1-21 of study; and 1-22 (2) provide substantially equal access for teachers 1-23 and administrators throughout the state to teaching tools of high 1-24 quality and efficient management systems. 2-1 (c) The Texas interactive multimedia communications fund is 2-2 an account in the general revenue fund. 2-3 (d) The Central Education Agency may receive gifts and 2-4 grants for deposit to the credit of the fund. 2-5 (e) The Central Education Agency shall administer the fund 2-6 and make annual disbursements from the fund. 2-7 (f) The State Board of Education by rule shall provide for: 2-8 (1) the administration of the fund; and 2-9 (2) guidelines for interactive multimedia 2-10 communications services and equipment purchased with a grant under 2-11 this subchapter. 2-12 (g) The Central Education Agency shall grant money from the 2-13 fund to school districts for the acquisition of interactive 2-14 multimedia communications services or equipment. 2-15 (h) To be eligible for a grant under Subsection (g) of this 2-16 section, a school district must submit a grant application to the 2-17 Central Education Agency. The application must include a plan for 2-18 the use of the grant. 2-19 (i) The State Board of Education by rule shall adopt 2-20 guidelines and procedures for the award of grants under Subsection 2-21 (g) of this section. 2-22 (j) A grant received under Subsection (g) of this section 2-23 may be used only to purchase interactive multimedia communications 2-24 services or equipment. 2-25 SECTION 2. Article XIV, Public Utility Regulatory Act 2-26 (Article 1446c, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by 2-27 adding Section 98A to read as follows: 3-1 Sec. 98A. (a) The commission shall permit a local exchange 3-2 company that provides interactive multimedia communications 3-3 services to establish rates at levels necessary, using sound 3-4 rate-making principles, to recover costs associated with providing 3-5 the services. Unless determined by the commission to be in the 3-6 public interest, a local exchange company may not establish rates 3-7 under this subsection that are less than the local exchange 3-8 company's long run incremental costs of providing the interactive 3-9 multimedia communications services. 3-10 (b) In this section, "interactive multimedia communications" 3-11 has the meaning assigned by Section 14.0451(a), Education Code. 3-12 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1993. 3-13 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 3-14 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-15 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-16 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-17 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.