By: Taylor of Galveston, et al.  S.B. No. 16
         (In the Senate - Filed July 19, 2017; July 20, 2017, read
  first time and referred to Committee on Education; July 22, 2017,
  reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 11, Nays 0;
  July 22, 2017, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the creation of a commission to recommend improvements
  to the public school finance system.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 42, Education Code, is amended by adding
  Subchapter L to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER L. TEXAS COMMISSION ON PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE
         Sec. 42.601.  DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "commission"
  means the Texas Commission on Public School Finance.
         Sec. 42.602.  TEXAS COMMISSION ON PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE.
  (a)  The Texas Commission on Public School Finance is established
  to develop and make recommendations for improvements to the current
  public school finance system or for new methods of financing public
  schools.
         (b)  The commission is composed of 13 members, consisting of
  the following:
               (1)  four members appointed by the governor;
               (2)  four members appointed by the lieutenant governor;
               (3)  four members appointed by the speaker of the house
  of representatives; and
               (4)  a member of the State Board of Education, as
  designated by the chair of that board.
         (c)  The members appointed by the governor must have an
  interest in public education and must include at least one member of
  the business community and at least one member of the civic
  community.
         (d)  The appointments made by the lieutenant governor and the
  speaker of the house of representatives must each consist of:
               (1)  three members of the applicable legislative
  chamber; and
               (2)  an administrator in the public school system or an
  elected member of the board of trustees of a school district.
         Sec. 42.603.  PRESIDING OFFICER. The governor shall
  designate the presiding officer of the commission.
         Sec. 42.604.  COMPENSATION AND REIMBURSEMENT. A member of
  the commission is not entitled to compensation for service on the
  commission but is entitled to reimbursement for actual and
  necessary expenses incurred in performing commission duties.
         Sec. 42.605.  ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT AND FUNDING.
  (a)  Staff members of the agency shall provide administrative
  support for the commission.
         (b)  Funding for the administrative and operational expenses
  of the commission shall be provided by appropriation to the agency
  for that purpose.
         Sec. 42.606.  RECOMMENDATIONS. (a)  The commission shall
  develop recommendations under this subchapter to address issues
  related to the public school finance system, including:
               (1)  the purpose of the public school finance system
  and the relationship between state and local funding in that
  system;
               (2)  the appropriate levels of local maintenance and
  operations and interest and sinking fund tax effort necessary to
  implement a public school finance system that complies with the
  requirements under the Texas Constitution; and
               (3)  policy changes to the public school finance system
  necessary to adjust for student demographics and the geographic
  diversity in the state.
         (b)  The commission may establish one or more working groups
  composed of not more than five members of the commission to study,
  discuss, and address specific policy issues and recommendations to
  refer to the commission for consideration.
         Sec. 42.607.  REPORT. Not later than December 31, 2018, the
  commission shall prepare and deliver a report to the governor and
  the legislature that recommends statutory changes to improve the
  public school finance system, including any adjustments to funding
  to account for student demographics.
         Sec. 42.608.  PUBLIC MEETINGS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION.
  (a)  The commission may hold public meetings as needed to fulfill
  its duties under this subchapter.
         (b)  The commission is subject to Chapters 551 and 552,
  Government Code.
         Sec. 42.609.  COMMISSION ABOLISHED; EXPIRATION OF
  SUBCHAPTER.  (a)  The commission is abolished January 8, 2019.
         (b)  This subchapter expires January 8, 2019.
         SECTION 2.  Not later than the 30th day after the effective
  date of this Act, the appropriate persons shall make the
  appointments and designations required by Section 42.602,
  Education Code, as added by this Act.
         SECTION 3.  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 on the 91st day after the last day of the
  legislative session.
 
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