By: Nelson S.B. No. 1460
Line and page numbers may not match official copy.
Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to state programs for assisting school districts with
1-3 paying the costs of public school facilities.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 46.006, Education Code, is amended to
1-6 read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 46.006. SHORTAGE OR EXCESS OF FUNDS APPROPRIATED FOR
1-8 NEW PROJECTS. (a) If the total amount appropriated for a year for
1-9 new projects is less than the amount of money to which school
1-10 districts applying for state assistance are entitled for that year,
1-11 the commissioner shall award state assistance for each new project
1-12 for which a district requested assistance during the 1999-2000 or
1-13 2000-2001 school year but did not receive assistance solely because
1-14 state money was not available. To be eligible for state assistance
1-15 under this subsection, a district must:
1-16 (1) submit an updated application; and
1-17 (2) demonstrate that the district did not pursue the
1-18 project because of the lack of available assistance.
1-19 (b) After providing assistance to all new projects described
1-20 by Subsection (a), the commissioner shall rank each remaining
1-21 school district applying by wealth per student. For purposes of
1-22 this section, a district's wealth per student is reduced by 10
1-23 percent for each state fiscal biennium in which the district did
2-1 not receive assistance under this subchapter.
2-2 (c) [(b)] A district's wealth per student is reduced for
2-3 purposes of this section if a district has had substantial student
2-4 enrollment growth in the preceding five-year period. The reduction
2-5 is in addition to any reduction under Subsection (b) [(a)] and is
2-6 computed before the district's wealth per student is reduced under
2-7 that subsection, if applicable. A district's wealth per student is
2-8 reduced:
2-9 (1) by five percent, if the district has an enrollment
2-10 growth rate in that period that is 10 percent or more but less than
2-11 15 percent;
2-12 (2) by 10 percent, if the district has an enrollment
2-13 growth rate in that period that is 15 percent or more but less than
2-14 30 percent; or
2-15 (3) by 15 percent, if the district has an enrollment
2-16 growth rate in that period that is 30 percent or more.
2-17 (d) [(c)] A district's wealth per student is reduced by 10
2-18 percent for purposes of this section if the district does not have
2-19 any outstanding debt at the time the district applies for
2-20 assistance under this subchapter. The reduction is in addition to
2-21 any reduction under Subsection [(a) or] (b) or (c) and is computed
2-22 before the district's wealth per student is reduced under those
2-23 subsections, if applicable.
2-24 (e) [(d)] The commissioner shall adjust the rankings after
2-25 making the reductions in wealth per student required by Subsections
2-26 [(a),] (b), [and] (c), and (d).
3-1 (f) [(e)] Beginning with the district with the lowest
3-2 adjusted wealth per student that has applied for state assistance
3-3 for the year, the commissioner shall award state assistance to
3-4 districts that have applied for state assistance in ascending order
3-5 of adjusted wealth per student. The commissioner shall award the
3-6 full amount of state assistance to which a district is entitled
3-7 under this subchapter, except that the commissioner may award less
3-8 than the full amount to the last district for which any funds are
3-9 available.
3-10 (g) [(f)] Any amount appropriated for the first year of a
3-11 fiscal biennium that is not awarded to a school district may be
3-12 used to provide assistance in the following fiscal year.
3-13 (h) [(g)] In this section, "wealth per student" means a
3-14 school district's taxable value of property as determined under
3-15 Subchapter M, Chapter 403, Government Code, or, if applicable,
3-16 Section 42.2521, divided by the district's average daily attendance
3-17 as determined under Section 42.005.
3-18 SECTION 2. Section 46.034(a), Education Code, is amended to
3-19 read as follows:
3-20 (a) The existing debt tax rate ("EDTR") under Section 46.032
3-21 may not exceed $0.29[$0.12] per $100 of valuation, or a greater
3-22 amount for any year provided by appropriation.
3-23 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.