78R6257 ESH-F


By:  Hamilton, Giddings, Menendez                                 H.B. No. 898



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the use of state travel services by public junior 
colleges and school districts.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 2171.055, Government Code, is amended by 
adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:
	(f)  An officer or employee of a public junior college, as 
defined by Section 61.003, Education Code, or of a school district 
who is engaged in official business may participate in the 
commission's contract for travel services.  The commission may 
charge a participating public junior college or school district a 
fee not to exceed the costs incurred by the commission in providing 
services under this subsection.  The commission shall periodically 
review fees and shall adjust them as needed to ensure recovery of 
costs incurred in providing services to public junior colleges and 
school districts under this subsection.  The commission shall 
deposit the fees collected under this subsection to the credit of 
the public education travel account.  The public education travel 
account is an account in the general revenue fund that may be 
appropriated only for the purposes of this chapter.  The commission 
shall adopt rules and make or amend contracts as necessary to 
administer this subsection.
	SECTION 2.  Subchapter B, Chapter 44, Education Code, is 
amended by adding Section 44.044 to read as follows:
	Sec. 44.044.  LIMIT ON EXPENDITURES FOR TRAVEL SERVICES.  A 
school district or public junior college may not reimburse an 
officer or employee for expenditures for travel services in excess 
of the applicable amount determined using the state travel 
allowance guide adopted by the comptroller under Section 660.021, 
Government Code.
	SECTION 3.  Section 44.044, Education Code, as added by this 
Act, applies only to reimbursement of an officer or employee of a 
school district or junior college district for an expenditure for 
travel services made after August 31, 2003.  Reimbursement of an 
officer or employee of a school district or junior college district 
for an expenditure for travel services made before September 1, 
2003, is governed by the law in effect at the time the expenditure 
was made, and the former law is continued in effect for that 
purpose.
	SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.