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Amend CSSB 422 by adding the following appropriately numbered
SECTIONS to the bill and renumbering subsequent SECTIONS of the
bill appropriately:
SECTION ____. Section 8.051(a), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) Except as provided by Subchapter E, each [Each]
regional education service center shall use funds distributed to
the center under Section 8.121 to develop, maintain, and deliver
services identified under this section to improve student and
school district performance.
SECTION ____. Section 8.103, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 8.103. ANNUAL EVALUATION. Except as provided by
Subchapter E, the [The] commissioner shall conduct an annual
evaluation of each executive director and regional education
service center. Each evaluation must include:
(1) an audit of the center's finances;
(2) a review of the center's performance on the
indicators adopted under Section 8.101;
(3) a review of client satisfaction with services
provided under Subchapter B; and
(4) a review of any other factor the commissioner
determines to be appropriate.
SECTION ____. Section 8.121(c), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(c) Each regional education service center shall use money
distributed to it under this section:
(1) for the provision of core services required under
Section 8.051;
(2) [or] for payment of necessary administrative and
operational expenses of the center related to the provision of core
[those] services required under Section 8.051; or
(3) as provided by Section 8.151, if the center is
approved to operate under Subchapter E.
SECTION ____. Chapter 8, Education Code, is amended by
adding Subchapter E to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER E. VOLUNTARY PILOT PROGRAM ESTABLISHING ALTERNATIVE
METHOD OF PROVIDING SERVICES
Sec. 8.151. DIRECT FUNDING TO DISTRICTS PERMITTED ON
APPROVAL; EVALUATION. (a) A regional education service center
approved by the commissioner to operate under this subchapter may
distribute funds received under Subchapter D directly to school
districts in the region served by the center for the purpose of
providing the school districts the freedom to purchase curriculum
materials, professional development services, and instructional
technology from the center or any other service provider.
(b) The commissioner by rule shall establish:
(1) a procedure for regional education service centers
to apply for approval to operate under this subchapter;
(2) criteria for approving or denying an application
under this subchapter; and
(3) criteria for evaluating each executive director
and regional education service center approved to operate under
this subchapter.
Sec. 8.152. ANNUAL AUDIT. (a) At least once each year, a
regional education service center operating under this subchapter
shall have a fiscal audit performed by a certified public
accountant.
(b) A regional education service center shall submit a copy
of the annual audit to the commissioner for review. The
commissioner may:
(1) examine any working papers from the annual audit;
and
(2) conduct a separate audit if, after reviewing the
independent audit, the commissioner considers a separate audit
necessary.
(c) A regional education service center operating under
this subchapter is not subject to the management processes,
procedures, and guidelines established by and for regional
education service centers that do not operate under this
subchapter.
(d) A regional education service center operating under
this subchapter may use management processes, procedures, and
guidelines that are reasonable and necessary to sustain the center
financially.
(e) A regional education service center operating under
this subchapter is accountable to the school districts in the
region served by the center and the commissioner.
Sec. 8.153. EXPIRATION. This subchapter expires September
1, 2009.
SECTION ____. Effective September 1, 2009, Section
8.051(a), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:
(a) Each regional education service center shall use funds
distributed to the center under Section 8.121 to develop, maintain,
and deliver services identified under this section to improve
student and school district performance.
SECTION ____. Effective September 1, 2009, Section 8.103,
Education Code, is amended to read as follows:
Sec. 8.103. ANNUAL EVALUATION. The commissioner shall
conduct an annual evaluation of each executive director and
regional education service center. Each evaluation must include:
(1) an audit of the center's finances;
(2) a review of the center's performance on the
indicators adopted under Section 8.101;
(3) a review of client satisfaction with services
provided under Subchapter B; and
(4) a review of any other factor the commissioner
determines to be appropriate.
SECTION ____. Effective September 1, 2009, Section
8.121(c), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:
(c) Each regional education service center shall use money
distributed to it under this section:
(1) for the provision of core services required under
Section 8.051; or
(2) for payment of necessary administrative and
operational expenses of the center related to the provision of core
[those] services required under Section 8.051.
SECTION ____. Not later than January 1, 2006, the
commissioner of education shall adopt rules to authorize regional
education service centers to operate under Subchapter E, Chapter 8,
Education Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION ____. (a) The commissioner of education shall
conduct a study to review the performance of regional education
service centers operating under Subchapter E, Chapter 8, Education
Code, as added by this Act.
(b) Not later than January 1, 2009, the commissioner of
education shall report the results of the study to the governor,
lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and
the chairs of the standing committees of each house of the
legislature with primary jurisdiction over public education. In
the report, the commissioner shall:
(1) state the commissioner's findings and
recommendations; and
(2) identify any opportunities for legislative or
administrative actions.
SECTION ____. Sections 8.051(a), 8.103, 8.121(c),
Education Code, as amended by this Act, and Subchapter E, Chapter 8,
Education Code, as added by this Act, apply beginning with the
2006-2007 school year.