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.