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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to eliminating or modifying certain mandates on school |
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districts. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 25.112, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsections (e), (f), and (g) to |
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read as follows: |
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(d) On application of a school district, the commissioner |
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may except the district from the limit in Subsection (a) if the |
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commissioner finds the limit works an undue hardship on the |
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district. An exception expires at the end of the school year |
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[semester] for which it is granted[, and the commissioner may not
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grant an exception for:
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[(1) more than one semester at a time]. |
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(e) A school district seeking an exception under Subsection |
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(d) shall notify the commissioner and apply for the exception not |
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later than the later of: |
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(1) October 1; or |
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(2) the 30th day after the first school day the |
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district exceeds the limit in Subsection (a). |
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(f) If a school district repeatedly fails to comply with |
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this section, the commissioner may take any appropriate action |
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authorized to be taken by the commissioner under Section 39.131. |
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(g) Not later than January 1, 2011, the agency shall report |
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to the legislature the number of applications for exceptions under |
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Subsection (d) submitted by each school district and for each |
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application indicate whether the application was granted or denied. |
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This subsection expires February 1, 2011. |
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SECTION 2. Subsection (b), Section 34.0021, Education Code, |
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is amended to read as follows: |
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(b) A school district shall conduct the school bus emergency |
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evacuation training at least once [twice] each school year. The |
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training may be conducted by video[, with one training session
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occurring in the fall and one training session occurring in the
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spring.
A portion of the training session must occur on a school
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bus and the training session must last for at least one hour]. |
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SECTION 3. Section 44.902, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 44.902. LONG-RANGE ENERGY PLAN [GOAL] TO REDUCE |
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CONSUMPTION OF ELECTRIC ENERGY. The board of trustees of a school |
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district shall establish a long-range energy plan [goal] to reduce |
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the [school] district's annual electric consumption by five percent |
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beginning with the 2008 [each] state fiscal year and consume |
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electricity in subsequent fiscal years in accordance with the |
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district's energy plan [for six years beginning September 1, 2007]. |
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SECTION 4. Subsection (b), Section 44.903, Education Code, |
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is amended to read as follows: |
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(b) A school district is encouraged to [shall] purchase for |
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use in each type of light fixture in an instructional facility the |
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commercially available model of light bulb that: |
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(1) uses the fewest watts for the necessary luminous |
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flux or light output; |
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(2) is compatible with the light fixture; and |
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(3) is the most cost-effective, considering the |
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factors described by Subdivisions (1) and (2). |
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SECTION 5. Subsection (b), Section 44.901, Education Code, |
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is repealed. |
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SECTION 6. This Act applies beginning with the 2009-2010 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 7. 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, 2009. |
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* * * * * |