HBA-LCA H.B. 2307 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2307
By: Keffer
Public Education
4/20/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

H.B. 2307 creates a staff development account in the general revenue fund
which consists of gifts, grants, donations, appropriations for staff
development, and any other money transferred by law to the account.  This
bill authorizes the commissioner of education to allocate funds from the
account to provide staff development resources to a school district that is
rated academically unacceptable, has one or more low-performing campuses,
or otherwise needs assistance. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority is expressly delegated to the commissioner of education in
SECTION 1 (Section 21.453, Education Code) of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Subchapter J, Chapter 21, Education Code, by adding
Section 21.453, as follows: 

Sec. 21.453.  STAFF DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNT.  (a)  Provides that the staff
development account (account) is an account in the general revenue fund
consisting of gifts, grants, donations, appropriations for staff
development, and any other money transferred by law to the account.
Provides that funds in the account may be used only as provided by this
section. 

(b) Authorizes the commissioner of education (commissioner) to allocate
funds from the account to provide staff development resources to school
districts that are rated academically unacceptable, have one or more
low-performing campuses, or otherwise need assistance, as determined by the
commissioner. 

(c)  Provides that a school district receiving staff development resources
must pay half its cost for deposit to the account. 

(d)  Authorizes the commissioner to adopt rules governing the allocation
and use of funds under this section. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 39.075(c), Education Code, to authorize the
commissioner to take action under Sections 39.131(a) (1) through (8)
(Sanctions) to improve any area of a school district's performance,
including its financial accounting practice, regardless of whether the
commissioner lowers its accreditation rating under Subchapter G
(Accreditation Sanctions). 

SECTION 3. Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.