By Giddings, Gray, McCall, Raymond, H.B. No. 107
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to specialized license plates to support an elementary
1-3 student reading program.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 502, Transportation Code,
1-6 is amended by adding Section 502.292 to read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 502.292. READ TO SUCCEED. (a) The department shall
1-8 issue specially designed "Read to Succeed" license plates for
1-9 passenger cars and light trucks.
1-10 (b) The department shall issue license plates under this
1-11 section to a person who:
1-12 (1) applies to the county assessor-collector of the
1-13 county in which the person resides on the form for original
1-14 registration or annual renewal of registration provided by the
1-15 department; and
1-16 (2) pays an annual fee in the amount set under
1-17 Subsection (c), in addition to the fee prescribed by Section
1-18 502.161 and, if personalized prestige license plates are issued, in
1-19 addition to the fee prescribed by Section 502.251.
1-20 (c) The department shall set the annual fee for license
1-21 plates under this section at:
1-22 (1) an amount, not to exceed $5, necessary to
1-23 administer this section; and
1-24 (2) an additional amount of:
1-25 (A) $15 for each set of plates, if the person is
2-1 purchasing plates under this section for a fleet of 50 or more
2-2 vehicles; or
2-3 (B) $25 for each set of plates, if Paragraph (A)
2-4 does not apply.
2-5 (d) The department shall deposit each fee collected under
2-6 Subsection (c)(2) to the credit of the "Read to Succeed" account
2-7 established under Section 29.355, Education Code.
2-8 (e) The fee collected under Subsection (c)(1) may be used
2-9 only to defray the cost of administering this section.
2-10 SECTION 2. Chapter 29, Education Code, is amended by adding
2-11 Subchapter J to read as follows:
2-12 SUBCHAPTER J. READ TO SUCCEED PROGRAM
2-13 Sec. 29.351. PROGRAM REQUIRED. The commissioner shall
2-14 develop a program, to be called the "Read to Succeed" program,
2-15 under which grants are made to public school campuses to provide
2-16 extra reading education to students in kindergarten through third
2-17 grade who are reading below grade level.
2-18 Sec. 29.352. ELIGIBILITY; CONDITIONS. To receive a grant
2-19 under this subchapter a school campus must have at least 35 percent
2-20 of its students in kindergarten through third grade reading below
2-21 grade level. These funds may not be used by the school campus to
2-22 supplant any existing programs. The extra reading education must
2-23 be provided to those students after regular classroom hours. A
2-24 certified public school employee may not be assigned additional
2-25 instructional duties as a result of this subchapter outside of the
2-26 regular workday unless the employee is compensated for the duties
2-27 at a reasonable rate of pay.
3-1 Sec. 29.353. ADMINISTRATION OF GRANTS. (a) A grant
3-2 application must include:
3-3 (1) guidelines for screening students to diagnose
3-4 reading deficiencies, including phonemic awareness;
3-5 (2) instructional material that is balanced,
3-6 well-organized, and based on scientific, replicable research; and
3-7 (3) testing to demonstrate student progress.
3-8 (b) The commissioner shall:
3-9 (1) prescribe the procedure for application for and
3-10 the making of grants; and
3-11 (2) perform other activities the commissioner
3-12 considers necessary to carry out this subchapter.
3-13 Sec. 29.354. ADVISORY BOARD. (a) The "Read to Succeed"
3-14 advisory board shall assist the commissioner in developing program
3-15 goals, determining which eligible applicants receive grants, the
3-16 amount of each grant, and promoting the "Read to Succeed" license
3-17 plates.
3-18 (b) The advisory board is composed of the commissioner or
3-19 the commissioner's designee and eight other members appointed as
3-20 follows:
3-21 (1) four persons appointed by the governor as provided
3-22 by Subsection (c);
3-23 (2) two additional persons appointed by the governor
3-24 from a list of nominees submitted by the speaker of the house of
3-25 representatives; and
3-26 (3) two persons appointed by the lieutenant governor.
3-27 (c) Of the members appointed under Subsection (b)(1):
4-1 (1) one must represent the public;
4-2 (2) two must represent children's educational
4-3 interests; and
4-4 (3) one must represent public schools.
4-5 (d) A member of the advisory board may not be compensated
4-6 for service on the board but is entitled to reimbursement for
4-7 necessary expenses of travel in carrying out the member's duties on
4-8 the board.
4-9 Sec. 29.355. READ TO SUCCEED ACCOUNT. (a) The comptroller
4-10 shall maintain a "Read to Succeed" account in the general revenue
4-11 fund. The account is composed of:
4-12 (1) money required to be deposited to the credit of
4-13 the account under Section 502.292, Transportation Code; and
4-14 (2) donations made to the account.
4-15 (b) Money in the "Read to Succeed" account may be used only
4-16 to make grants under this subchapter.
4-17 SECTION 3. A grant may not be made under Subchapter J,
4-18 Chapter 29, Education Code, as added by this Act, before August 1,
4-19 1998.
4-20 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.
4-21 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the
4-22 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-23 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-24 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-25 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.