By:  Ratliff, Bivins                                   S.B. No. 297

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to the technology allotment under the foundation school

 1-2     program.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subsection (b), Section 31.021, Education Code,

 1-5     is amended to read as follows:

 1-6           (b)  The State Board of Education shall annually set aside

 1-7     out of the available school fund of the state an amount sufficient

 1-8     for the board, school districts, and open-enrollment charter

 1-9     schools to purchase and distribute the necessary textbooks for the

1-10     use of the students of this state for the following school year.

1-11     The board shall determine the amount of the available school fund

1-12     to set aside for the state textbook fund based on:

1-13                 (1)  a report by the commissioner issued on July 1 or,

1-14     if that date is a Saturday or Sunday, on the following Monday,

1-15     stating the amount of unobligated money in the fund;

1-16                 (2)  a requirement to provide an allotment to be

1-17     distributed to each district equal to $30 per student in average

1-18     daily attendance, or a greater amount for any year provided by

1-19     appropriation [as determined under Subsection (c)], to be used only

1-20     to:

1-21                       (A)  provide for the purchase by school districts

1-22     of electronic textbooks or technological equipment that contributes

1-23     to student learning; and

1-24                       (B)  pay for training educational personnel

 2-1     directly involved in student learning in the appropriate use of

 2-2     electronic textbooks and for providing for access to technological

 2-3     equipment for instructional use;

 2-4                 (3)  the commissioner's estimate, based on textbooks

 2-5     selected under Section 31.101 and on attendance reports submitted

 2-6     under Section 31.103 by school districts and open-enrollment

 2-7     charter schools, of the amount of funds, in addition to funds

 2-8     reported under Subdivision (1), that will be necessary for purchase

 2-9     and distribution of textbooks for the following school year; and

2-10                 (4)  any amount the board determines should be set

2-11     aside for emergency purposes caused by unexpected increases in

2-12     attendance.

2-13           SECTION 2.  Subsection (c), Section 31.021, Education Code,

2-14     is repealed.

2-15           SECTION 3.  (a)  If this Act receives the votes required by

2-16     Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution, for an effective date

2-17     before the 91st day after the last day of the legislative session,

2-18     this Act takes effect immediately and applies beginning with the

2-19     1996-1997 school year.

2-20           (b)  If this Act does not receive the votes required by

2-21     Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution, for an effective date

2-22     before the 91st day after the last day of the legislative session,

2-23     this Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and applies beginning with

2-24     the 1997-1998 school year.

2-25           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-26     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-27     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 3-1     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 3-2     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 3-3     and that this Act take effect and be in force according to its

 3-4     terms, and it is so enacted.