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.