By Shapleigh                                           S.B. No. 597
         77R3013 CAS-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to a study of funding of public school facilities.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 46, Education Code, is
 1-5     amended by adding Section 46.012 to read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 46.012.  STUDY OF FUNDING OF FACILITIES.  (a)  The
 1-7     commissioner, in consultation with the presiding officers of the
 1-8     House Public Education Committee and the Senate Education
 1-9     Committee, shall select an educational research group with
1-10     expertise concerning public school funding to comprehensively study
1-11     the funding of facilities necessary to provide for a general
1-12     diffusion of knowledge among public school students in this state. 
1-13           (b)  The study must consider a variety of:
1-14                 (1)  funding formulas; and
1-15                 (2)  factors for possible inclusion in the formulas,
1-16     including:
1-17                       (A)  the purpose for which the facility will be
1-18     used;
1-19                       (B)  the need to adapt the facility for use by
1-20     disabled students;
1-21                       (C)  construction costs in a district; and
1-22                       (D)  a district's wealth per student as defined
1-23     by Sections 41.001 and 46.006(g).
1-24           (c)  The commissioner shall select an educational research
 2-1     group to perform the study not later than December 1, 2001.
 2-2           (d)  The agency shall include the results of the study in the
 2-3     report required by Section 39.182 that is due not later than
 2-4     December 1, 2002.
 2-5           (e)  This section expires December 31, 2002.
 2-6           SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a
 2-7     vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
 2-8     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
 2-9     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
2-10     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.