| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the creation of the Technology Lending Program to |
|
|
provide grants to school districts and open-enrollment charter |
|
|
schools. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Chapter 32, Education Code, is amended by adding |
|
|
Subchapter G to read as follows: |
|
|
SUBCHAPTER G. TECHNOLOGY LENDING PROGRAM GRANTS |
|
|
Sec. 32.301. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM. (a) The |
|
|
commissioner may establish a grant program under which grants are |
|
|
awarded to school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to |
|
|
implement a technology lending program to provide students access |
|
|
to equipment necessary to access and use electronic instructional |
|
|
materials. |
|
|
(b) A school district or an open-enrollment charter school |
|
|
may apply to the commissioner to participate in the grant program. |
|
|
In awarding grants under this subchapter for each school year, the |
|
|
commissioner shall consider: |
|
|
(1) the availability of existing equipment to students |
|
|
in the district or school; |
|
|
(2) other funding available to the district or school; |
|
|
and |
|
|
(3) the district's or school's technology plan. |
|
|
(c) The commissioner may determine the terms of a grant |
|
|
awarded under this section, including limits on the grant amount |
|
|
and approved uses of grant funds. |
|
|
(d) The commissioner may recover funds not used in |
|
|
accordance with the terms of a grant by withholding amounts from any |
|
|
state funds otherwise due to the school district or open-enrollment |
|
|
charter school. |
|
|
Sec. 32.302. FUNDING. (a) The commissioner may use not |
|
|
more than $25 million from the state instructional materials fund |
|
|
under Section 31.021 each state fiscal biennium or a different |
|
|
amount determined by appropriation to administer a grant program |
|
|
established under this subchapter. |
|
|
(b) The cost of administering a grant program under this |
|
|
subchapter must be paid from funds described by Subsection (a). |
|
|
Sec. 32.303. USE OF GRANT FUNDS. (a) A school district or |
|
|
open-enrollment charter school may use a grant awarded under |
|
|
Section 32.301 or other local funds to purchase, maintain, and |
|
|
insure equipment for a technology lending program. |
|
|
(b) Equipment purchased by a school district or |
|
|
open-enrollment charter school with a grant awarded under Section |
|
|
32.301 is the property of the district or school. |
|
|
Sec. 32.304. REVIEW OF PROGRAM. Not later than January 1, |
|
|
2019, the commissioner shall review the grant program established |
|
|
under this subchapter and submit a report to the governor, the |
|
|
lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, |
|
|
and the presiding officers of the standing committees in the senate |
|
|
and house primarily responsible for public education. This section |
|
|
expires September 1, 2019. |
|
|
SECTION 2. 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 September 1, 2017. |