By Maxey                                         H.B. No. 434

      75R2865 CAS-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to assistance by regional education service centers and

 1-3     the Texas Department of Insurance to school districts in meeting

 1-4     district insurance needs.

 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-6           SECTION 1.  Section 8.051, Education Code, is amended to read

 1-7     as follows:

 1-8           Sec. 8.051.  CORE SERVICES.  (a)  Each regional education

 1-9     service center shall use funds distributed to the center under

1-10     Section 8.121 for developing and maintaining core services for

1-11     purchase by school districts and campuses.  The core services are:

1-12                 (1)  training and assistance in teaching each subject

1-13     area assessed under Section 39.023;

1-14                 (2)  training and assistance in providing each program

1-15     that qualifies for a funding allotment under Section 42.151,

1-16     42.152, 42.153, or 42.156;

1-17                 (3)  assistance specifically designed for a school

1-18     district rated academically unacceptable under Section 39.072(a) or

1-19     a campus whose performance is considered unacceptable based on the

1-20     indicators adopted under Section 39.051;

1-21                 (4)  training and assistance to teachers,

1-22     administrators, members of district boards of trustees, and members

1-23     of site-based decision-making committees; [and]

1-24                 (5)  assistance in complying with state laws and rules;

 2-1     and

 2-2                 (6)  assistance to school districts in bidding as a

 2-3     cooperative unit for all major types of insurance needed by the

 2-4     districts, including health insurance and coverage offered by

 2-5     health maintenance organizations.

 2-6           (b)  The board of trustees of each school district

 2-7     participating in a cooperative unit to bid for insurance with the

 2-8     assistance of a regional education service center  shall appoint a

 2-9     representative to a cooperative governing  board.  The governing

2-10     board, with the assistance of the center, shall plan the direction

2-11     of the cooperative.  Each representative to the governing board

2-12     shall attempt to ensure that the policies of the board of trustees

2-13     that appointed the representative are considered in planning the

2-14     direction of the cooperative.  The board of trustees of each school

2-15     district participating in the cooperative retains final authority

2-16     for district insurance decisions.

2-17           SECTION 2.  Chapter 1, Insurance Code, is amended by adding

2-18     Article 1.50 to read as follows:

2-19           Art. 1.50.  TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS.  The

2-20     department shall provide technical assistance to assist school

2-21     districts throughout the state with district insurance needs,

2-22     including health insurance and coverage offered by health

2-23     maintenance organizations.  The department shall provide the

2-24     technical assistance by various means, including:

2-25                 (1)  department presentations at conferences of school

2-26     officials;

2-27                 (2)  assignment of a department employee with expertise

 3-1     in school district operations to work with district officials, the

 3-2     General Services Commission, and the Texas Education Agency to

 3-3     collect and to disseminate to school districts relevant

 3-4     information; and

 3-5                 (3)  creation and maintenance of an insurance guide for

 3-6     school districts that:

 3-7                       (A)  explains all state requirements relating to

 3-8     insurance and alternative coverage applicable to school districts;

 3-9                       (B)  describes major types of insurance and

3-10     alternative coverage and the manner in which each of those types of

3-11     insurance or alternatives meets school district needs;

3-12                       (C)  provides sample requests for proposals; and

3-13                       (D)  lists each insurance company and health

3-14     maintenance organization in this state that provides coverage of a

3-15     type needed by school districts by the type of coverage offered and

3-16     by the region in which the coverage is provided.

3-17           SECTION 3.  The amendment by this Act to Section 8.051,

3-18     Education Code, takes effect only if Chapter 8, Education Code, is

3-19     continued in effect by the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997.

3-20           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

3-21     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

3-22     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

3-23     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

3-24     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

3-25     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

3-26     passage, and it is so enacted.