By Krusee H.B. No. 2666 77R8606 KKA-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to a public education scholarship program. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, is 1-5 amended by adding Section 29.903 to read as follows: 1-6 Sec. 29.903. PUBLIC EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. (a) Each 1-7 child eligible to attend school under Section 25.001 who is using a 1-8 federally funded voucher or scholarship to pay the costs of 1-9 attending a private primary or secondary school is entitled to a 1-10 state public education scholarship in an amount that equals the 1-11 amount of the federally funded voucher or scholarship. 1-12 (b) The state public education scholarship shall be paid 1-13 proportionately by the state and the school district the child 1-14 would otherwise attend. The state's share of a child's public 1-15 education scholarship is computed by multiplying the amount of the 1-16 federally funded voucher or scholarship by a fraction, the 1-17 numerator of which is the average state expenditure per student in 1-18 the school district for the preceding year and the denominator of 1-19 which is the average state and local expenditure per student in 1-20 that district for that year. The district's share is the 1-21 difference between the amount of the federally funded voucher or 1-22 scholarship and the state's share. In computing expenditures per 1-23 student for purposes of this subsection, expenditures for debt and 1-24 expenditures funded by the available school fund are not included. 2-1 (c) The commissioner shall adopt rules necessary to 2-2 implement this section. The rules must: 2-3 (1) provide for collection of a school district's 2-4 proportionate share of a child's state public education 2-5 scholarship; 2-6 (2) provide for payment of a child's state public 2-7 education scholarship; 2-8 (3) be consistent with any federal law governing a 2-9 child's eligibility for a federally funded voucher or scholarship 2-10 to pay the costs of attending a private primary or secondary 2-11 school; and 2-12 (4) result in a state public education scholarship 2-13 program under which a child receives funding as long as federal 2-14 funds are received by or on behalf of the child. 2-15 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 2-16 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 2-17 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this 2-18 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 2-19 Act takes effect September 1, 2001.