By Madden                                              H.B. No. 904
       74R1638 CAS-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to funding of vocational education in public schools.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Section 16.155, Education Code, is amended to
    1-5  read as follows:
    1-6        Sec. 16.155.  Vocational Education Allotment.  (a)  For each
    1-7  full-time equivalent student in average daily attendance in an
    1-8  approved vocational education program in grades nine through 12 or
    1-9  in vocational education programs for students with disabilities in
   1-10  grades seven through 12, a district is entitled to an annual
   1-11  allotment equal to the amount by which the cost of having the
   1-12  full-time equivalent student in the vocational education program
   1-13  exceeds the average cost to school districts in this state of
   1-14  having a student in a regular education program or a special
   1-15  education program under Subchapter N, Chapter 21, as applicable, at
   1-16  those grades <adjusted basic allotment multiplied by a weight of
   1-17  1.37>.  The amount of the excess cost shall be determined as
   1-18  provided by State Board of Education rule.  The rule must specify a
   1-19  time and manner in which a school district must submit
   1-20  documentation of vocational education program expenses to the
   1-21  Central Education Agency.
   1-22        (b)  In this section, "full-time equivalent student" means 30
   1-23  hours of contact a week between a student and vocational education
   1-24  program personnel.
    2-1        (c)  Funds allocated under this section<, other than an
    2-2  indirect cost allotment established under State Board of Education
    2-3  rule,> must be used in providing vocational education programs in
    2-4  grades nine through 12 or vocational education programs for
    2-5  students with disabilities in grades seven through 12 under the
    2-6  provisions of Sections 21.111, 21.1111, and 21.112 of this code.
    2-7        (d)  <The indirect cost allotment established under board
    2-8  rules shall first be effective for the 1991-1992 school year
    2-9  consistent with the weight effective that year.>
   2-10        <(e)  The commissioner shall conduct a cost-benefit
   2-11  comparison between vocational education programs and mathematics
   2-12  and science programs.>
   2-13        <(f)>  Out of the total statewide allotment for vocational
   2-14  education under this section, the commissioner of education shall
   2-15  set aside an amount specified in the General Appropriations Act,
   2-16  which may not exceed an amount equal to one percent of the total
   2-17  amount appropriated, to support regional vocational education
   2-18  planning committees established under Section 21.115(b) of this
   2-19  code.   After deducting the amount set aside under this subsection
   2-20  from the total amount appropriated for vocational education under
   2-21  this section, the commissioner shall reduce each district's tier
   2-22  one allotments in the same manner described for a reduction in
   2-23  allotments under Section 16.254 of this code.
   2-24        SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 1995-1996
   2-25  school year.
   2-26        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-27  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    3-1  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    3-2  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    3-3  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
    3-4  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
    3-5  passage, and it is so enacted.