By: Shapiro S.B. No. 1255

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a state intercept credit enhancement program for certain bonds issued by school districts.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Chapter 45, Education Code, is amended by adding Subchapter I to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER I. INTERCEPT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE CREDIT ENHANCEMENT FOR

BONDS

Sec. 45.251. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:

(1) "Board" means the State Board of Education.

(2) "Foundation School Program" means the program established under Chapters 41, 42, and 46, or any successor program of state appropriated funding for school districts in this state.

(3) "Paying agent" means the financial institution that is designated by a school district as the district's agent for the payment of the principal of and interest on bonds for which credit enhancement is provided under this subchapter.

Sec. 45.252. INTERCEPT CREDIT ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM. (a) If a school district's application for guarantee of district bonds by the corpus and income of the permanent school fund as provided by Subchapter C is rejected, the district may apply under this subchapter for credit enhancement of bonds described by Section 45.054 by money appropriated for the Foundation School Program, other than money that is appropriated to school districts specifically:

(1) as required under the Texas Constitution; or

(2) for assistance in paying debt service.

(b) The same school district bonds may not benefit under both Subchapter C and this subchapter.

(c) Notwithstanding any amendment of this subchapter or other law, the credit enhancement provided under this subchapter for school district bonds remains in effect until the date those bonds mature or are defeased in accordance with state law.

Sec. 45.253. ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible for approval by the commissioner under this subchapter, bonds must be issued in the manner provided by Section 45.054.

Sec. 45.254. INTERCEPT OF FOUNDATION SCHOOL PROGRAM APPROPRIATIONS AS CREDIT ENHANCEMENT. (a) Money appropriated for the Foundation School Program that may be used for the purpose under this subchapter and under any other law, rule, or regulation shall be used to provide credit enhancement for eligible bonds as provided by this subchapter, the General Appropriations Act, and board rule if using the permanent school fund to guarantee particular bonds would result in:

(1) a total amount of outstanding bonds guaranteed by the permanent school fund exceeding the amount authorized under:

(A) Section 45.053; or

(B) federal law or regulations; or

(2) the use of a portion of the cost value of the permanent school fund reserved under Section 45.0531, as determined by the board.

(b) If Foundation School Program appropriations are not sufficient in any year to pay principal or interest that becomes due on bonds for which credit enhancement is provided under this subchapter, the payment shall be made from the following year's Foundation School Program appropriations that may be used for the purpose under this subchapter before those appropriations are used for any other Foundation School Program purpose.

Sec. 45.255. APPLICATION FOR CREDIT ENHANCEMENT. (a) A school district seeking credit enhancement of eligible bonds under this subchapter shall apply to the commissioner using a form adopted by the commissioner for the purpose. The commissioner may adopt a single form on which a district seeking guarantee or credit enhancement of eligible bonds may apply simultaneously first for a guarantee under Subchapter C and then, if that guarantee is rejected, for credit enhancement under this subchapter.

(b) An application under Subsection (a) must:

(1) include the information required by Section 45.055(b); and

(2) be accompanied by a fee set by board rule in an amount designed to cover the costs of administering the programs to provide the guarantee or credit enhancement of eligible bonds.

Sec. 45.256. INVESTIGATION. (a) Following receipt of an application under Section 45.255, the commissioner shall conduct an investigation of the applicant school district as provided for an investigation under Section 45.056(a).

(b) If following the investigation under Subsection (a) the commissioner is satisfied that the school district's bonds should be guaranteed under Subchapter C or provided credit enhancement under this subchapter, as applicable, the commissioner shall endorse the bonds.

Sec. 45.257. CREDIT ENHANCEMENT ENDORSEMENT. (a) The commissioner shall endorse bonds approved for credit enhancement under this subchapter in substantially the same manner provided under Section 45.057 for endorsing bonds approved under Subchapter C.

(b) The credit enhancement is not effective unless the attorney general approves the bonds under Section 45.005.

Sec. 45.258. NOTICE OF FAILURE OR INABILITY TO PAY. Immediately following a determination that a school district will be or is unable to pay maturing or matured principal or interest on a bond for which credit enhancement is provided under this subchapter, but not later than the fifth day before maturity date, the school district shall notify the commissioner.

Sec. 45.259. PAYMENT FROM INTERCEPTED FUNDS. (a) Immediately following receipt of notice under Section 45.258, the commissioner shall instruct the comptroller to transfer to the district's paying agent from appropriations to the Foundation School Program that may be used for the purpose under Section 45.252 and other law the amount necessary to pay the maturing or matured principal or interest.

(b) Immediately following receipt of the funds for payment of the principal or interest, the paying agent shall pay the amount due.

(c) If money appropriated for the Foundation School Program is used for purposes of this subchapter and as a result there is insufficient money to fully fund the Foundation School Program, the commissioner shall, to the extent necessary, reduce each school district's foundation school fund allocations, other than any portion appropriated from the available school fund, in the same manner provided by Section 42.253(h) for a case in which school district entitlements exceed the amount appropriated. The following fiscal year, a district's entitlement under Section 42.253 is increased by an amount equal to the reduction under this subsection.

(d) A payment made under this section by the state on behalf of a school district of funds the district owes on bonds for which credit enhancement is provided under this subchapter creates a repayment obligation of the district to the state regardless of the maturity date of, or any payment of interest on, the bonds.

(e) This section does not create a debt of the state under the Texas Constitution or, except to the extent provided by this subchapter, create a payment obligation.

Sec. 45.260. BONDS NOT ACCELERATED ON FAILURE TO PAY. If a school district fails to pay principal or interest on a bond for which credit enhancement is provided under this subchapter when the amount matures, other amounts not yet mature are not accelerated and do not become due by virtue of the district's failure to pay amounts matured.

Sec. 45.261. REIMBURSEMENT OF FOUNDATION SCHOOL PROGRAM. (a) If the commissioner orders payment from the money appropriated to the Foundation School Program on behalf of a school district that is not required to reduce its wealth per student under Chapter 41, the commissioner shall direct the comptroller to withhold the amount paid from the first state money payable to the district. If the commissioner orders payment from the money appropriated to the Foundation School Program on behalf of a school district that is required to reduce its wealth per student under Chapter 41, the commissioner shall increase amounts due from the district under that chapter in a total amount equal to the amount of payments made on behalf of the district under this subchapter. Amounts withheld or received under this subsection shall be used for the Foundation School Program.

(b) In accordance with commissioner rules, the commissioner may authorize reimbursement of the Foundation School Program in a manner other than that provided by this section.

(c) The commissioner may order a school district to set an ad valorem tax rate capable of producing an amount of revenue sufficient to enable the district to:

(1) provide reimbursement under this section; and

(2) pay the remaining principal of and interest on the bonds as the principal and interest become due.

(d) If a school district fails to comply with the commissioner's order under Subsection (c), the commissioner may impose any sanction on the district authorized to be imposed on a district under Subchapter G, Chapter 39, including appointment of a board of managers or annexation to another district, regardless of the district's accreditation status or the duration of a particular accreditation status.

(e) Any part of a school district's tax rate attributable to producing revenue for purposes of Subsection (c)(1) is considered part of the district's:

(1) current debt rate for purposes of computing a rollback tax rate under Section 26.08, Tax Code; and

(2) interest and sinking fund tax rate.

(f) On reimbursement by a school district as required by this section, the commissioner shall pay to the district any amount withheld under this section.

Sec. 45.262. REPEATED FAILURE TO PAY. (a) If a total of two or more payments are made under Subchapter C or this subchapter on the bonds of a school district and the commissioner determines that the district is acting in bad faith under the guarantee program under Subchapter C or the credit enhancement program under this subchapter, the commissioner may request the attorney general to institute appropriate legal action to compel the district and the district's officers, agents, and employees to comply with the duties required of them by law in regard to the bonds.

(b) Jurisdiction of proceedings under this section is in district court in Travis County.

Sec. 45.263. RULES. (a) The commissioner shall adopt rules necessary for the administration of the bond credit enhancement program under this subchapter.

(b) In adopting rules under Subsection (a), the commissioner shall establish an annual deadline by which a school district must pay the debt service on bonds for which credit enhancement is provided under this subchapter. The deadline established may not be later than the 10th day before the date specified under Section 42.259 for payment to school districts of the final Foundation School Program installment for a school year.

SECTION 2. Section 45.052, Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 45.052. GUARANTEE. (a) On approval by the commissioner, bonds issued under Subchapter A, including refunding bonds, are guaranteed by the corpus and income of the permanent school fund.

(b) Notwithstanding any amendment of this subchapter or other law, the guarantee under this subchapter of school district bonds remains in effect until the date those bonds mature or are defeased in accordance with state law.

SECTION 3. Subsections (a), (b), and (c), Section 45.053, Education Code, are amended to read as follows:

(a) Except as provided by Subsection (d), the commissioner may not approve bonds for guarantee under this subchapter if the approval would result in the total amount of outstanding guaranteed bonds under this subchapter exceeding an amount equal to 2-1/2 times the cost value of the permanent school fund, as estimated by the board and certified by the state auditor.

(b) Each year, the state auditor shall analyze the status of guaranteed bonds under this subchapter as compared to the cost value of the permanent school fund. Based on that analysis, the state auditor shall certify whether the amount of bonds guaranteed under this subchapter is within the limit prescribed by this section.

(c) The commissioner shall prepare and the board shall adopt an annual report on the status of the guaranteed bond program under this subchapter.

SECTION 4. Subchapter C, Chapter 45, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 45.0531 to read as follows:

Sec. 45.0531. ADDITIONAL LIMITATION: RESERVATION OF PERCENTAGE OF PERMANENT SCHOOL FUND VALUE. (a) In addition to the limitation on the approval of bonds for guarantee under Section 45.053, the board by rule may establish a percentage of the cost value of the permanent school fund to be reserved from use in guaranteeing bonds under this subchapter.

(b) If the board has reserved a portion of the permanent school fund under Subsection (a), each year, the state auditor shall analyze the status of the reserved portion compared to the cost value of the permanent school fund. Based on that analysis, the state auditor shall certify whether the portion of the permanent school fund reserved from use in guaranteeing bonds under this subchapter satisfies the reserve percentage established.

(c) If the board has reserved a portion of the permanent school fund under Subsection (a), the board shall at least annually consider whether to change the reserve percentage established to ensure that the reserve percentage allows compliance with federal law and regulations and serves to enable bonds guaranteed under this subchapter to receive the highest available credit rating, as determined by the board.

(d) This section may not be construed in a manner that impairs, limits, or removes the guarantee of bonds that have been approved by the commissioner.

SECTION 5. Section 45.055, Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 45.055. APPLICATION FOR GUARANTEE. (a) A school district seeking [the] guarantee of eligible bonds under this subchapter shall apply to the commissioner using a form adopted by the commissioner for the purpose. The commissioner may adopt a single form on which a district seeking guarantee or credit enhancement of eligible bonds may apply simultaneously first for guarantee under this subchapter and then, if that guarantee is rejected, for credit enhancement under Subchapter I.

(b) An [The] application under Subsection (a) must include:

(1) the name of the school district and the principal amount of the bonds to be issued;

(2) the name and address of the district's paying agent for those bonds; and

(3) the maturity schedule, estimated interest rate, and date of the bonds.

(c) An [The] application under Subsection (a) must be accompanied by a fee set by rule of the board in an amount designed to cover the costs of administering the programs to provide the guarantee or credit enhancement of eligible bonds [program].

SECTION 6. Subsection (b), Section 45.056, Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(b) If following the investigation the commissioner is satisfied that the school district's bonds should be guaranteed under this subchapter or provided credit enhancement under Subchapter I, as applicable, the commissioner shall endorse the bonds.

SECTION 7. Section 45.061, Education Code, is amended by adding Subsections (c) and (d) to read as follows:

(c) The commissioner may order a school district to set an ad valorem tax rate capable of producing an amount of revenue sufficient to enable the district to:

(1) provide reimbursement under this section; and

(2) pay the principal of and interest on district bonds as the principal and interest become due.

(d) If a school district fails to comply with the commissioner's order under Subsection (c), the commissioner may impose any sanction on the district authorized to be imposed on a district under Subchapter G, Chapter 39, including appointment of a board of managers or annexation to another district, regardless of the district's accreditation status or the duration of a particular accreditation status.

SECTION 8. Subsection (a), Section 45.062, Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(a) If a total of two or more payments [from the permanent school fund] are made under this subchapter or Subchapter I on the [guaranteed] bonds of a school district and the commissioner determines that the school district is acting in bad faith under the guarantee program under this subchapter or the credit enhancement program under Subchapter I, the commissioner may request the attorney general to institute appropriate legal action to compel the school district and its officers, agents, and employees to comply with the duties required of them by law in regard to the bonds.

SECTION 9. Section 42.259, Education Code, is amended by adding Subsection (g) to read as follows:

(g) The commissioner shall make all annual Foundation School Program payments under this section for purposes described by Sections 45.252(a)(1) and (2) before the deadline established under Section 45.263(b) for payment of debt service on bonds. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the commissioner may make Foundation School Program payments under this section after the deadline established under Section 45.263(b) only if the commissioner has not received notice under Section 45.258 concerning a district's failure or inability to pay matured principal or interest on bonds.

SECTION 10. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2009.