By Johnson                                            H.B. No. 2876
       74R7834 ESH-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the adjustment of a school district's property values
    1-3  for school funding purposes.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Section 16.252(e), Education Code, is amended to
    1-6  read as follows:
    1-7        (e)  The commissioner of education shall hear appeals from
    1-8  school districts which have experienced a <rapid> decline in tax
    1-9  base used in calculating the local fund assignment<, exceeding
   1-10  eight percent of prior year,> that is beyond the control of the
   1-11  board of trustees of the district.  The commissioner of education
   1-12  may adjust the district's taxable values for local fund assignment
   1-13  purposes for such losses in value <exceeding eight percent> and
   1-14  thereby adjust the local fund assignment to reflect the local
   1-15  current year taxable value.  The decision of the commissioner of
   1-16  education shall be final.  An adjustment does not affect the local
   1-17  fund assignment of any other school district.  This subsection
   1-18  shall apply to determinations by the commissioner in identifying
   1-19  districts with wealth per student exceeding the equalized wealth
   1-20  level pursuant to Section 36.004.
   1-21        SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 1995-1996
   1-22  school year.
   1-23        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-24  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-1  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-2  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-3  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
    2-4  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
    2-5  passage, and it is so enacted.