BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 836

By: Watson

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

According to interested parties, recent legislation transferred responsibility for facilities-related maintenance and operations for both the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the Texas School for the Deaf to the Texas Facilities Commission (TFC), with certain exceptions such as custodial, security, and ground maintenance activities. The parties suggest that, due to the relationship between such activities and an effective and integrated facilities management plan, it is beneficial for one agency to perform all facilities-related maintenance activities to ensure the efficient and consistent delivery of quality services. S.B. 836 seeks to address this issue by transferring responsibility for facilities management services for the physical facilities at each campus to the TFC.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 836 transfers the following from the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the Texas School for the Deaf to the Texas Facilities Commission (TFC), not later than September 1, 2015: all remaining powers, duties, functions, programs, and activities of each school relating to the maintenance of the schools' respective physical facilities; any obligations and contracts of each school that are directly related to implementing a transferred power, duty, function, program, or activity; all property and records in the custody of each school that are related to a transferred power, duty, function, program, or activity; and all funds appropriated by the legislature for that power, duty, function, program, or activity. The bill requires the TFC and each school to enter into separate memoranda of understanding that establish a plan for the identification and transfer of the records, personnel, property, and unspent appropriations of each school that are used for purposes of the TFC's powers and duties directly related to the maintenance of the schools' physical facilities under Education Code provisions relating to the governance of the schools.

S.B. 836 amends the Education Code and the Government Code to make conforming changes.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2015.