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.