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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to state savings and government efficiency achieved |
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through a taxpayer savings grant program administered by the |
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comptroller of public accounts. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 42.253, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows: |
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(b-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (b), the commissioner |
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shall adjust enrollment estimates and entitlement for each school |
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district for each school year based on information provided by the |
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comptroller under Section 42.501(f). This subsection expires |
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September 1, 2020. |
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SECTION 2. Chapter 42, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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Subchapter J to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER J. TAXPAYER SAVINGS GRANTS |
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Sec. 42.501. TAXPAYER SAVINGS GRANT PROGRAM. (a) In this |
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section, "eligible student" means a school-age child who resides in |
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the state and who: |
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(1) is entering kindergarten or first grade; |
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(2) attended a public school for all of the academic |
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year immediately preceding initial participation in the Taxpayer |
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Savings Grant Program; or |
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(3) participated in the program in a preceding |
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academic year. |
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(b) A parent or legal guardian of an eligible student who |
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agrees to accept reimbursement in an amount that is less than the |
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state average maintenance and operations expenditures per student |
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may receive reimbursement from the state for the tuition paid for |
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the enrollment of the eligible student at a private school in an |
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amount that is the lesser of: |
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(1) the tuition paid; or |
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(2) 60 percent of the state average maintenance and |
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operations expenditures per student. |
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(c) Money from the available school fund and federal funds |
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may not be used for reimbursement under this section. |
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(d) A private school voluntarily selected by a parent for |
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the parent's child to attend, with or without governmental |
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assistance, may not be required to comply with any state law or rule |
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governing the school's educational program that was not in effect |
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on January 1, 2015. |
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(e) The comptroller shall administer the program and |
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provide reimbursement to a parent or legal guardian of an eligible |
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student as authorized by this section. |
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(f) Not later than October 1 of each year, the comptroller |
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shall notify the commissioner and the Legislative Budget Board of |
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the number of eligible students likely to participate in the |
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program, disaggregated by the school district or open-enrollment |
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charter school the eligible students would otherwise attend. Not |
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later than March 1 of each year, the comptroller shall provide final |
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information to the commissioner and the Legislative Budget Board |
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regarding the number of students participating in the program, |
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disaggregated in the same manner as the initial information. |
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SECTION 3. As soon as practicable, but not later than |
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October 15, 2015, the comptroller, in coordination with the |
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commissioner of education, shall adopt rules to implement the |
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Taxpayer Savings Grant Program under Section 42.501, Education |
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Code, as added by this Act, including rules to prevent fraud in |
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financial transactions under the program and to determine the net |
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savings resulting from implementation of the program. The rules |
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must require reconciliation of payments for all grants within the |
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same fiscal year or within the first month following the end of the |
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fiscal year. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |