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.