BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center

C.S.S.B. 722

 

By: Campbell

 

Education

 

4/26/2019

 

Committee Report (Substituted)

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

While school district superintendent salaries have grown exponentially in recent years, so to have severance payments made to these superintendents. Current law requires that any severance payment over a superintendent's annual base salary be subtracted from that district's state funding; S.B. 722 seeks to place a hard limit on those severance payments. S.B. 722 limits the amount of a severance payment made to a superintendent to that superintendent's annual base salary. (Original Author's/Sponsor's Statement of Intent)

 

C.S.S.B. 722 amends current law relating to a severance payment to a superintendent or administrator serving as educational leader and chief executive officer of a school district or an open-enrollment charter school.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Section 11.201(c), Education Code, as follows:

 

(c) Prohibits the board of trustees of an independent school district from making a severance payment to a superintendent in an amount greater than one year's salary under the superintendent's terminated contract. Deletes existing text requiring the commissioner of education to reduce the district's Foundation School Program funds by any amount that the amount of the severance payment to the superintendent exceeds an amount equal to one year's salary and benefits under the superintendent's terminated contract.

 

SECTION 2. Amends Section 12.104, Education Code, by adding Subsection (b-4), as follows:

 

(b-4) Provides that Section 11.201(c) applies to an open-enrollment charter school as though the governing body of the school were the board of trustees of a school district and to the superintendent or, as applicable, the administrator serving as educational leader and chief executive officer of the school as though that person were the superintendent of a school district.

 

SECTION 3. (a) Makes application of Section 11.201(c), Education Code, as amended by this Act, prospective.

 

(b) Makes application of Section 12.104(b-4), Education Code, as added by this Act, prospective.

 

SECTION 4. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2019.