By Barrientos S.B. No. 811
76R3983 JSA-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to establishing the Texas Commission on Participation in
1-3 Education.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Title 1, Education Code, is amended by adding
1-6 Chapter 2 to read as follows:
1-7 CHAPTER 2. TEXAS COMMISSION ON
1-8 PARTICIPATION IN EDUCATION
1-9 Sec. 2.001. COMPOSITION OF COMMISSION. (a) The Texas
1-10 Commission on Participation in Education consists of 15 members as
1-11 follows:
1-12 (1) the commissioner of education;
1-13 (2) two members appointed by the commissioner of
1-14 education with experience in public primary and secondary
1-15 education;
1-16 (3) the commissioner of higher education;
1-17 (4) two members appointed by the commissioner of
1-18 higher education with experience in public higher education;
1-19 (5) three members appointed by the governor;
1-20 (6) three members appointed by the lieutenant
1-21 governor; and
1-22 (7) three members appointed by the speaker of the
1-23 house of representatives.
1-24 (b) An appointed member of the commission serves a two-year
2-1 term expiring February 1 of each odd-numbered year.
2-2 (c) The appointing officers shall consult with one another
2-3 in making appointments to the commission to ensure that the
2-4 commission includes:
2-5 (1) representation for each major geographic region of
2-6 the state; and
2-7 (2) balanced representation of private employers and
2-8 the business community, educational institutions including school
2-9 districts and institutions of higher education, nonprofit
2-10 organizations, and the general public.
2-11 (d) The governor shall designate a member of the commission
2-12 to serve as presiding officer of the commission.
2-13 Sec. 2.002. STAFF AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT. (a) The
2-14 Texas Education Agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
2-15 Board shall provide the commission with the staff, facilities, and
2-16 other support the commission requires to perform its duties.
2-17 (b) Commission members serve without compensation but are
2-18 entitled to reimbursement for expenses incurred in performing
2-19 official duties, subject to any applicable limit provided by the
2-20 General Appropriations Act.
2-21 Sec. 2.003. MISSION AND DUTIES. (a) The commission shall
2-22 study, develop, recommend, promote, and assist public and private
2-23 entities to implement strategies and programs to foster full
2-24 participation by all residents of this state in this state's system
2-25 of public education and in other available educational
2-26 opportunities.
2-27 (b) In carrying out its mission, the commission shall give
3-1 priority to strategies and programs that:
3-2 (1) foster greater access to academic programs and the
3-3 benefits of public education at all educational levels by
3-4 economically and educationally disadvantaged students;
3-5 (2) promote participation by the private sector,
3-6 including private employers and other businesses and nonprofit
3-7 organizations, in public and private education in this state,
3-8 including:
3-9 (A) participation in and support for outreach
3-10 programs, recruitment efforts, and public information efforts;
3-11 (B) provision of leadership, personnel,
3-12 financial or facilities support, or other involvement in
3-13 cooperative educational or training programs; and
3-14 (C) establishment of private scholarships,
3-15 grants, and other forms of aid to assist economically disadvantaged
3-16 students or low-performing or underfunded schools or educational
3-17 programs;
3-18 (3) develop outreach and support programs for students
3-19 from communities and backgrounds who are significantly
3-20 underrepresented in advanced or college-preparatory courses in
3-21 primary and secondary school, in higher education generally, in the
3-22 state's flagship and research universities, and in graduate and
3-23 professional degree programs, to encourage and assist those
3-24 students to qualify for and succeed in those educational
3-25 opportunities; and
3-26 (4) develop innovative funding sources for student
3-27 financial support or support of educational programs.
4-1 Sec. 2.004. COOPERATION OF OTHER PUBLIC ENTITIES. The Texas
4-2 Education Agency, regional education service centers, the Texas
4-3 Higher Education Coordinating Board, school districts, public
4-4 institutions of higher education, and other state and local
4-5 governmental entities shall cooperate with the commission in its
4-6 activities to the extent practicable and consistent with the duties
4-7 and authority of each of those entities.
4-8 Sec. 2.005. REPORT. (a) Not later than November 1 of each
4-9 even-numbered year, the commission shall prepare a report of its
4-10 activities and recommendations and deliver the report to the
4-11 governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of
4-12 representatives. The report may include recommendations for:
4-13 (1) specific legislation, appropriations, or agency
4-14 action; and
4-15 (2) changes to the commission and its powers and
4-16 duties under this chapter that would enable it to carry out its
4-17 mission more effectively.
4-18 (b) The commission may make any additional reports or
4-19 recommendations the commission considers reasonable to carry out
4-20 its mission.
4-21 Sec. 2.006. EXPIRATION. Unless continued in existence by
4-22 law, the commission is abolished and this chapter expires September
4-23 1, 2001.
4-24 SECTION 2. The officers responsible for appointing the
4-25 members of the Texas Commission on Participation in Education shall
4-26 appoint the initial members of the commission to terms expiring
4-27 February 1, 2001, as soon as practicable after the effective date
5-1 of this Act.
5-2 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
5-3 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
5-4 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
5-5 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
5-6 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
5-7 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
5-8 passage, and it is so enacted.