1-1 By: Finnell, A. Smith of Harris H.B. No. 1029
1-2 (Senate Sponsor - Montford)
1-3 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 13, 1993;
1-4 April 14, 1993, read first time and referred to Committee on
1-5 Education; May 20, 1993, reported favorably by the following vote:
1-6 Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 20, 1993, sent to printer.)
1-7 COMMITTEE VOTE
1-8 Yea Nay PNV Absent
1-9 Ratliff x
1-10 Haley x
1-11 Barrientos x
1-12 Bivins x
1-13 Harris of Tarrant x
1-14 Luna x
1-15 Montford x
1-16 Shapiro x
1-17 Sibley x
1-18 Turner x
1-19 Zaffirini x
1-20 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-21 AN ACT
1-22 relating to the creation of the Texas interactive multimedia
1-23 communications fund; regulating interactive multimedia
1-24 communications services and equipment.
1-25 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-26 SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 14, Education Code, is
1-27 amended by adding Section 14.0451 to read as follows:
1-28 Sec. 14.0451. TEXAS INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
1-29 FUND DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM. (a) In this section:
1-30 (1) "Interactive multimedia communications" means
1-31 real-time, two-way, interactive voice, video, and data
1-32 communications conducted over networks that link geographically
1-33 dispersed locations.
1-34 (2) "Fund" means the Texas interactive multimedia
1-35 communications fund.
1-36 (b) The purpose of this section is to establish, as one of
1-37 the demonstration programs authorized under Section 14.045 of this
1-38 code, a Texas interactive multimedia communications fund to:
1-39 (1) provide substantially equal access for students
1-40 throughout the state to instruction of high quality in all courses
1-41 of study; and
1-42 (2) provide substantially equal access for teachers
1-43 and administrators throughout the state to teaching tools of high
1-44 quality and efficient management systems.
1-45 (c) The Texas interactive multimedia communications fund is
1-46 an account in the general revenue fund.
1-47 (d) The Central Education Agency may receive gifts and
1-48 grants for deposit to the credit of the fund.
1-49 (e) The Central Education Agency shall administer the fund
1-50 and make annual disbursements from the fund.
1-51 (f) The State Board of Education by rule shall provide for:
1-52 (1) the administration of the fund; and
1-53 (2) guidelines for interactive multimedia
1-54 communications services and equipment purchased with a grant under
1-55 this subchapter.
1-56 (g) The Central Education Agency shall grant money from the
1-57 fund to school districts for the acquisition of interactive
1-58 multimedia communications services or equipment.
1-59 (h) To be eligible for a grant under Subsection (g) of this
1-60 section, a school district must submit a grant application to the
1-61 Central Education Agency. The application must include a plan for
1-62 the use of the grant.
1-63 (i) The State Board of Education by rule shall adopt
1-64 guidelines and procedures for the award of grants under Subsection
1-65 (g) of this section.
1-66 (j) A grant received under Subsection (g) of this section
1-67 may be used only to purchase interactive multimedia communications
1-68 services or equipment.
2-1 SECTION 2. Article XIV, Public Utility Regulatory Act
2-2 (Article 1446c, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by
2-3 adding Section 98A to read as follows:
2-4 Sec. 98A. (a) The commission shall permit a local exchange
2-5 company that provides interactive multimedia communications
2-6 services to establish rates at levels necessary, using sound
2-7 rate-making principles, to recover costs associated with providing
2-8 the services. Unless determined by the commission to be in the
2-9 public interest, a local exchange company may not establish rates
2-10 under this subsection that are less than the local exchange
2-11 company's long run incremental costs of providing the interactive
2-12 multimedia communications services.
2-13 (b) In this section, "interactive multimedia communications"
2-14 has the meaning assigned by Section 14.0451(a), Education Code.
2-15 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
2-16 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
2-17 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-18 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-19 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-20 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
2-21 * * * * *
2-22 Austin,
2-23 Texas
2-24 May 20, 1993
2-25 Hon. Bob Bullock
2-26 President of the Senate
2-27 Sir:
2-28 We, your Committee on Education to which was referred H.B.
2-29 No. 1029, have had the same under consideration, and I am
2-30 instructed to report it back to the Senate with the recommendation
2-31 that it do pass and be printed.
2-32 Ratliff,
2-33 Chairman
2-34 * * * * *
2-35 WITNESSES
2-36 FOR AGAINST ON
2-37 ___________________________________________________________________
2-38 Name: Robin Gilchrist x
2-39 Representing: Texans for Education
2-40 City: Austin
2-41 -------------------------------------------------------------------
2-42 Name: Sandy Kibby x
2-43 Representing: Texas PTA
2-44 City: Austin
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