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.