1-1           By:  Ratliff, Bivins                             S.B. No. 297

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed January 24, 1997; January 28, 1997,

 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on Finance;

 1-4     February 4, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas

 1-5     10, Nays 0; February 4, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to the technology allotment under the foundation school

 1-9     program.

1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-11           SECTION 1.  Subsection (b), Section 31.021, Education Code,

1-12     is amended to read as follows:

1-13           (b)  The State Board of Education shall annually set aside

1-14     out of the available school fund of the state an amount sufficient

1-15     for the board, school districts, and open-enrollment charter

1-16     schools to purchase and distribute the necessary textbooks for the

1-17     use of the students of this state for the following school year.

1-18     The board shall determine the amount of the available school fund

1-19     to set aside for the state textbook fund based on:

1-20                 (1)  a report by the commissioner issued on July 1 or,

1-21     if that date is a Saturday or Sunday, on the following Monday,

1-22     stating the amount of unobligated money in the fund;

1-23                 (2)  a requirement to provide an allotment to be

1-24     distributed to each district equal to $30 per student in average

1-25     daily attendance, or a greater amount for any year provided by

1-26     appropriation [as determined under Subsection (c)], to be used only

1-27     to:

1-28                       (A)  provide for the purchase by school districts

1-29     of electronic textbooks or technological equipment that contributes

1-30     to student learning; and

1-31                       (B)  pay for training educational personnel

1-32     directly involved in student learning in the appropriate use of

1-33     electronic textbooks and for providing for access to technological

1-34     equipment for instructional use;

1-35                 (3)  the commissioner's estimate, based on textbooks

1-36     selected under Section 31.101 and on attendance reports submitted

1-37     under Section 31.103 by school districts and open-enrollment

1-38     charter schools, of the amount of funds, in addition to funds

1-39     reported under Subdivision (1), that will be necessary for purchase

1-40     and distribution of textbooks for the following school year; and

1-41                 (4)  any amount the board determines should be set

1-42     aside for emergency purposes caused by unexpected increases in

1-43     attendance.

1-44           SECTION 2.  Subsection (c), Section 31.021, Education Code,

1-45     is repealed.

1-46           SECTION 3.  (a)  If this Act receives the votes required by

1-47     Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution, for an effective date

1-48     before the 91st day after the last day of the legislative session,

1-49     this Act takes effect immediately and applies beginning with the

1-50     1996-1997 school year.

1-51           (b)  If this Act does not receive the votes required by

1-52     Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution, for an effective date

1-53     before the 91st day after the last day of the legislative session,

1-54     this Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and applies beginning with

1-55     the 1997-1998 school year.

1-56           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-57     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-58     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-59     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-60     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-61     and that this Act take effect and be in force according to its

1-62     terms, and it is so enacted.

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