H.B. No. 396

AN ACT

relating to acceptable uses of the instructional materials and technology fund and the instructional materials and technology allotment.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 31.021(c), Education Code, as amended by Chapters 581 (S.B. 810) and 705 (H.B. 3526), Acts of the 85th Legislature, Regular Session, 2017, is reenacted and amended to read as follows:

(c) Money in the state instructional materials and technology fund shall be used to:

(1) fund the instructional materials and technology allotment, as provided by Section 31.0211;

(2) purchase special instructional materials for the education of blind and visually impaired students in public schools;

(3) pay the expenses associated with the instructional materials adoption and review process under this chapter;

(4) pay the expenses associated with the purchase or licensing of open education resource instructional material;

(5) pay the expenses associated with the purchase of instructional material, including [intrastate] freight and shipping and the insurance expenses associated with [intrastate] freight and shipping;

(6) fund the technology lending grant program established under Section 32.301;

(7) provide funding to the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, the Texas School for the Deaf, and the Texas Juvenile Justice Department; and

(8) pay the expenses associated with the instructional materials web portal developed under Section 31.081.

SECTION 2. Section 31.0211(c), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(c) Subject to Subsection (d), funds allotted under this section may be used to:

(1) purchase:

(A) materials on the list adopted by the commissioner, as provided by Section 31.0231;

(B) instructional materials, regardless of whether the instructional materials are on the list adopted under Section 31.024;

(C) consumable instructional materials, including workbooks;

(D) instructional materials for use in bilingual education classes, as provided by Section 31.029;

(E) instructional materials for use in college preparatory courses under Section 28.014, as provided by Section 31.031;

(F) supplemental instructional materials, as provided by Section 31.035;

(G) state-developed open education resource instructional materials, as provided by Subchapter B-1;

(H) instructional materials and technological equipment under any continuing contracts of the district in effect on September 1, 2011; [and]

(I) technological equipment necessary to support the use of materials included on the list adopted by the commissioner under Section 31.0231 or any instructional materials purchased with an allotment under this section; and

(J) inventory software or systems for storing, managing, and accessing instructional materials and analyzing the usage and effectiveness of the instructional materials; and

(2) pay:

(A) for training educational personnel directly involved in student learning in the appropriate use of instructional materials and for providing for access to technological equipment for instructional use; and

(B) the salary and other expenses of an employee who provides technical support for the use of technological equipment directly involved in student learning.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.

______________________________ ______________________________

President of the Senate Speaker of the House

I certify that H.B. No. 396 was passed by the House on March 21, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 141, Nays 0, 1 present, not voting.

______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House

I certify that H.B. No. 396 was passed by the Senate on May 22, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1.

______________________________ Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: _____________________

Date

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Governor