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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to making supplemental appropriations and giving |
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direction and making adjustments regarding appropriations for |
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public school finance. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. APPROPRIATION: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY. (a) In |
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addition to other amounts appropriated to the Texas Education |
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Agency for the state fiscal biennium beginning September 1, 2017, |
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the following appropriations are made to the agency from the |
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Foundation School Fund, general revenue account number 0193, for |
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Strategy A.1.1., FSP-Equalized Operations, as listed in the |
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appropriations made to the agency in Chapter 605 (S.B. 1), Acts of |
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the 85th Legislature, Regular Session, 2017 (the General |
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Appropriations Act): |
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(1) $963,500,000 for the state fiscal year beginning |
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September 1, 2017; and |
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(2) $963,500,000 for the state fiscal year beginning |
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September 1, 2018. |
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(b) Notwithstanding the sum-certain appropriations |
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specified in Rider 3, Chapter 605 (S.B. 1), Acts of the 85th |
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Legislature, Regular Session, 2017 (the General Appropriations |
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Act), to the bill pattern of the appropriations to the Texas |
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Education Agency, the Legislative Budget Board shall determine the |
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sum-certain appropriation to the Foundation School Program for each |
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year of the state fiscal biennium beginning September 1, 2017, |
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based on the amount specified in that rider, the other provisions of |
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the General Appropriations Act, and other law, including the |
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provisions of this Act. |
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(c) Notwithstanding Rider 3, Chapter 605 (S.B. 1), Acts of |
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the 85th Legislature, Regular Session, 2017 (the General |
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Appropriations Act), to the bill pattern of the appropriations to |
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the Texas Education Agency, for purposes of distributing the |
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Foundation School Program basic tier state aid appropriated for the |
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state fiscal biennium beginning September 1, 2017, and in |
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accordance with Section 42.101, Education Code, the basic allotment |
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is established at $5,350 for the state fiscal year beginning |
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September 1, 2017, and $5,350 for the state fiscal year beginning |
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September 1, 2018. |
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(d) Out of amounts appropriated to the Texas Education |
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Agency in Subsection (a) of this section, the commissioner of |
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education shall allocate $15,000,000 for the state fiscal year |
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beginning September 1, 2017, and $15,000,000 for the state fiscal |
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year beginning September 1, 2018, to making grants under Section |
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29.018, Education Code, to school districts and open-enrollment |
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charter schools to assist in covering the cost of educating |
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students with disabilities. It is the intent of the legislature |
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that: |
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(1) except as inconsistent with general law, expenses |
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for which a school district or open-enrollment charter school may |
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use money allocated under this section and awarded to the district |
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or school as a grant include: |
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(A) fees for educational therapies or support |
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services provided by a practitioner or other provider; |
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(B) transportation costs necessary for a student |
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to receive educational support services; |
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(C) costs associated with purchasing |
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instructional materials, as defined by Section 31.002, Education |
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Code; and |
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(D) costs of computer hardware and software and |
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other assistive technological devices intended to facilitate a |
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student's learning; and |
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(2) the commissioner of education require a school |
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district or open-enrollment charter school awarded grant money |
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described by this subsection to report to the Texas Education |
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Agency on the district's or school's use of that money. |
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SECTION 2. APPROPRIATION REDUCTION: TEXAS EDUCATION |
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AGENCY. The appropriations to the Texas Education Agency for the |
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state fiscal year beginning September 1, 2018, from the Foundation |
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School Fund, general revenue account number 0193, for Strategy |
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A.1.1., FSP-Equalized Operations, made by Chapter 605 (S.B. 1), |
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Acts of the 85th Legislature, Regular Session, 2017 (the General |
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Appropriations Act), are reduced by $1,927,000,000. It is the |
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intent of the legislature that the August 2019 Foundation School |
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Program payment to school districts be deferred and made in |
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September 2019 in accordance with this Act and the Act described by |
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Section 3(a)(2) of this Act. |
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SECTION 3. CONTINGENCY. (a) This Act takes effect only if |
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the 85th Legislature, 1st Called Session, 2017, enacts the |
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following and the Acts become law: |
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(1) H.B. 21 or another Act that improves equity in and |
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reduces the amount of school property tax revenue subject to |
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recapture under the public school finance system and increases this |
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state's share of the funding for the Foundation School Program; and |
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(2) an Act authorizing the deferral of the August 2019 |
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Foundation School Program payment to school districts. |
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(b) If an Act described by Subsection (a)(1) of this section |
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or an Act described by Subsection (a)(2) of this section does not |
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become law, this Act has no effect. |
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SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. Except as otherwise provided by |
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this Act: |
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(1) this Act takes effect immediately if it receives a |
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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; and |
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(2) if this Act does not receive the vote necessary for |
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immediate effect, this Act takes effect on the 91st day after the |
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last day of the legislative session. |