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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the placement of money in the state instructional |
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materials fund and payment of the instructional materials |
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allotment. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 31.0211(a) and (d), Education Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) A school district is entitled to an [annual] allotment |
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each biennium from the state instructional materials fund for each |
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student enrolled in the district on a date during the last year of |
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the preceding biennium [school year] specified by the |
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commissioner. The commissioner shall determine the amount of the |
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allotment per student each biennium [year] on the basis of the |
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amount of money available in the state instructional materials fund |
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to fund the allotment. An allotment under this section shall be |
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transferred from the state instructional materials fund to the |
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credit of the district's instructional materials account as |
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provided by Section 31.0212. |
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(d) Each biennium [year] a school district shall use the |
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district's allotment under this section to purchase, in the |
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following order: |
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(1) instructional materials necessary to permit the |
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district to certify that the district has instructional materials |
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that cover all elements of the essential knowledge and skills of the |
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required curriculum, other than physical education, for each grade |
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level as required by Section 28.002; and |
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(2) any other instructional materials or |
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technological equipment as determined by the district. |
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SECTION 2. Section 31.0212(a), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) The commissioner shall maintain an instructional |
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materials account for each school district. In the first year of |
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each biennium [Each school year], the commissioner shall deposit in |
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the account for each district the amount of the district's |
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instructional materials allotment under Section 31.0211. |
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SECTION 3. Sections 31.0215(a) and (b), Education Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The commissioner shall, as early as practicable during |
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each biennium [fiscal year], notify each school district and |
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open-enrollment charter school of the estimated amount to which the |
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district or charter school will be entitled under Section 31.0211 |
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during the next fiscal biennium [year]. |
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(b) The commissioner may allow a school district or |
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open-enrollment charter school to place an order for instructional |
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materials before the beginning of a fiscal biennium [year] and to |
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receive instructional materials before payment. The commissioner |
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shall limit the cost of an order placed under this section to 80 |
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percent of the estimated amount to which a school district or |
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open-enrollment charter school is estimated to be entitled as |
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provided by Subsection (a) and shall first credit any balance in a |
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district or charter school instructional materials account to pay |
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for an order placed under this section. |
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SECTION 4. Section 43.001(d), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(d) Each biennium [year] the State Board of Education shall |
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set aside an amount equal to 50 percent of the [annual] distribution |
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for that biennium [year] from the permanent school fund to the |
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available school fund as provided by Section 5(a), Article VII, |
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Texas Constitution, to be placed, subject to the General |
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Appropriations Act, in the state instructional materials fund |
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established under Section 31.021. |
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SECTION 5. Section 403.093(d), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(d) The comptroller shall transfer from the general revenue |
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fund to the foundation school fund an amount of money necessary to |
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fund the foundation school program as provided by Chapter 42, |
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Education Code. The comptroller shall make the transfers in |
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installments as necessary to comply with Section 42.259, Education |
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Code, and permit the Texas Education Agency, to the extent |
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authorized by the General Appropriations Act, to make temporary |
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transfers from the foundation school fund for payment of the |
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instructional materials allotment under Section 31.0211, Education |
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Code. Unless an earlier date is necessary for purposes of temporary |
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transfers for payment of the instructional materials allotment, an |
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[An] installment must be made not earlier than two days before the |
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date an installment to school districts is required by Section |
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42.259, Education Code, and must not exceed the amount necessary |
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for that payment and any temporary transfers for payment of the |
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instructional materials allotment. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |