By Keffer                                             H.B. No. 2307
         76R8400 BDH-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to assistance to certain low-performing public school
 1-3     districts.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter J, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
 1-6     amended by adding Section 21.453 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 21.453.  STAFF DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNT.  (a)  The staff
 1-8     development account is an account in the general revenue fund.  The
 1-9     account consists of gifts, grants, donations, appropriations for
1-10     the purpose of staff development under this subchapter, and any
1-11     other money transferred by law to the account.  Funds in the
1-12     account may be used only as provided by this section.
1-13           (b)  The commissioner may allocate funds from the account to
1-14     regional education service centers to provide staff development
1-15     resources to   school districts that:
1-16                 (1)  are rated academically unacceptable;
1-17                 (2)  have one or more campuses rated as low-performing;
1-18     or
1-19                 (3)  are otherwise in need of assistance as indicated
1-20     by the academic performance of students, as determined by the
1-21     commissioner.
1-22           (c)  A school district that receives resources under this
1-23     section must pay to the commissioner for deposit in the account an
1-24     amount equal to one-half of the cost of the resources provided to
 2-1     the district.
 2-2           (d)  The commissioner may adopt rules governing the
 2-3     allocation and use of funds under this section.
 2-4           SECTION 2.  Section 39.075(c), Education Code, is amended to
 2-5     read as follows:
 2-6           (c)  Based on the results of a special accreditation
 2-7     investigation, the commissioner may lower the district's
 2-8     accreditation rating and may take appropriate action under
 2-9     Subchapter G.  Regardless of whether the commissioner lowers the
2-10     district's accreditation rating, the commissioner may take action
2-11     under Sections 39.131(a)(1) through (8) if the commissioner
2-12     determines that the action is necessary to improve any area of a
2-13     district's performance, including the district's financial
2-14     accounting practices.
2-15           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-16     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-17     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-18     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-19     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-20     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-21     passage, and it is so enacted.