By Turner of Harris H.B. No. 1191
75R5538 CAS-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the Texas Education Policy Council and the Texas
1-3 Education Coordinating Council.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Subtitle D, Title 4, Government Code, is amended
1-6 by adding Chapter 448 to read as follows:
1-7 CHAPTER 448. TEXAS EDUCATION POLICY COUNCIL AND TEXAS
1-8 EDUCATION COORDINATING COUNCIL
1-9 Sec. 448.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "policy council"
1-10 means the Texas Education Policy Council.
1-11 Sec. 448.002. POLICY COUNCIL. (a) The policy council is an
1-12 agency of the state.
1-13 (b) The membership of the policy council consists of:
1-14 (1) the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of
1-15 the house of representatives;
1-16 (2) two members of the senate appointed by the
1-17 lieutenant governor;
1-18 (3) two members of the house of representatives
1-19 appointed by the speaker; and
1-20 (4) four members appointed by the governor.
1-21 Sec. 448.003. TENURE OF APPOINTED MEMBERS. An appointed
1-22 member of the policy council serves at the pleasure of the
1-23 appointing officer.
1-24 Sec. 448.004. COMPENSATION AND REIMBURSEMENT. A member of
2-1 the policy council serves without compensation for service on the
2-2 council but is entitled to reimbursement for actual and necessary
2-3 expenses incurred in performing council duties.
2-4 Sec. 448.005. DUTIES OF POLICY COUNCIL. The policy council
2-5 shall develop methods to promote a more effective and cohesive
2-6 public education system in this state. To develop those methods,
2-7 the policy council shall:
2-8 (1) conduct an in-depth analysis of the public
2-9 education system;
2-10 (2) identify critical problems in the state's public
2-11 education system and recommend strategies to solve those problems;
2-12 and
2-13 (3) assess the use of state and local funds in the
2-14 public education system.
2-15 Sec. 448.006. COORDINATING COUNCIL. (a) The Texas
2-16 Education Coordinating Council shall serve in an advisory capacity
2-17 to the policy council.
2-18 (b) The membership of the coordinating council consists of:
2-19 (1) the commissioner of education;
2-20 (2) the commissioner of higher education;
2-21 (3) the director of the Texas Juvenile Probation
2-22 Commission;
2-23 (4) the executive director of the Texas Youth
2-24 Commission; and
2-25 (5) three members representing the public education
2-26 community, with the governor, lieutenant governor, and the speaker
2-27 of the house each appointing one of those members.
3-1 Sec. 448.007. SUNSET PROVISION. The policy council and the
3-2 coordinating council are subject to Chapter 325 (Texas Sunset Act).
3-3 Unless continued in existence as provided by that chapter, the
3-4 policy council and coordinating council are abolished and this
3-5 chapter expires September 1, 2009.
3-6 Sec. 448.008. APPOINTMENT OF OTHER ADVISORY BODIES. The
3-7 policy council may establish other advisory councils, task forces,
3-8 or commissions the policy council considers necessary to accomplish
3-9 the purposes of this chapter.
3-10 Sec. 448.009. PRESIDING OFFICER. (a) The governor is the
3-11 chair of the policy council.
3-12 (b) The lieutenant governor is the vice chair and presides
3-13 at meetings in the governor's absence. The speaker of the house of
3-14 representatives presides at meetings when both the governor and the
3-15 lieutenant governor are absent.
3-16 Sec. 448.010. MEETINGS. The policy council shall meet at
3-17 least quarterly and at other times at the call of the chair.
3-18 Sec. 448.011. GRANTS AND DONATIONS. The policy council may
3-19 accept grants and donations from public and private entities.
3-20 Sec. 448.012. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND STAFF. (a) The policy
3-21 council may employ an executive director.
3-22 (b) The executive director may employ personnel necessary to
3-23 administer the responsibilities of the policy council.
3-24 Sec. 448.013. PUBLIC EDUCATION PLAN; REPORT TO LEGISLATURE.
3-25 The policy council shall annually submit to the legislature a plan
3-26 detailing the actions necessary to promote an effective and
3-27 cohesive public education system in this state and a report of the
4-1 policy council's activities.
4-2 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the
4-3 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-4 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-5 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-6 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
4-7 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
4-8 passage, and it is so enacted.