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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to requiring the Texas Education Agency to prepare a |
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report regarding public education mandates. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 7, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 7.031 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 7.031. REPORT ON PUBLIC EDUCATION MANDATES. (a) In |
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this section, "public education mandate" means a requirement made |
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by federal or state law, including a statute, rule, order, or |
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ordinance, that requires a school district to establish, expand, or |
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modify an activity in a way that requires the expenditure of revenue |
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by the school district that would not have been required in the |
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absence of the federal or state law. |
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(b) The agency shall prepare a report that identifies each |
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public education mandate that applies in this state. The report |
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shall identify each public education mandate individually and |
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provide the following information relating to the mandate: |
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(1) the law authorizing the mandate; |
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(2) whether the mandate is fully funded, partially |
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funded, or unfunded; |
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(3) whether the funding for the mandate, if any, is |
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state funds, federal funds, or a combination of state and federal |
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funds; |
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(4) an estimate of any cost required to be paid by the |
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state or the school districts, if applicable; |
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(5) whether the mandate duplicates all or part of |
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another public education mandate; |
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(6) any conflict between the mandate and any other |
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public education mandate; and |
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(7) any recommendation relating to revising or |
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eliminating a mandate. |
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(b) The agency shall solicit information relating to public |
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education mandates from school districts, school district |
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employees, and any other interested person. |
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(b-1) Not later than December 1, 2008, the agency shall |
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deliver a copy of the report produced under this section to the |
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governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house, and presiding |
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officers of the standing committees of each house of the |
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legislature with primary jurisdiction over public education. This |
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subsection expires January 15, 2009. |
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(c) The agency shall: |
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(1) make the report produced under this section |
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available as an electronic document on the agency's Internet |
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website; and |
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(2) update the electronic document periodically to |
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include any additions or changes to the report. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |