By: Menéndez  S.B. No. 2044
         (In the Senate - Filed March 12, 2021; April 1, 2021, read
  first time and referred to Committee on Education; April 23, 2021,
  reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 11, Nays 0;
  April 23, 2021, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the establishment of the State Advisory Council on
  Educational Opportunity for Military Children.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 162.001, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subdivision (3) to read as follows:
               (3)  "State Advisory Council" means the State Advisory
  Council on Educational Opportunity for Military Children
  established under Section 162.006.
         SECTION 2.  Chapter 162, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Section 162.006 to read as follows:
         Sec. 162.006.  STATE ADVISORY COUNCIL AND COORDINATION. (a)  
  The compact commissioner, in coordination with the Texas Education
  Agency, shall establish the State Advisory Council on Educational
  Opportunity for Military Children to provide for coordination among
  state agencies, school districts, and military installations
  concerning the state's participation in and compliance with the
  compact and compact activities, as required by Article VIII of the
  compact.
         (b)  The State Advisory Council consists of:
               (1)  the commissioner of education or the
  commissioner's designee;
               (2)  a superintendent of a school district with a high
  concentration of military children designated by the agency;
               (3)  the governor or the governor's designee;
               (4)  the chair of the senate committee on education or a
  member of the senate committee on education designated by the
  agency;
               (5)  the chair of the house of representatives
  committee on public education or a member of the house of
  representatives committee on public education designated by the
  agency;
               (6)  a representative from each branch of the armed
  services of the United States that maintains an installation in the
  state, designated by the agency; and
               (7)  representatives of other offices and stakeholder
  groups the agency deems appropriate.
         (c)  Members of the State Advisory Council may delegate
  voting authority to another person for a specified meeting or
  meetings.
         (d)  Meetings of the State Advisory Council may be conducted
  face-to-face or by telephone or other means of telecommunication or
  electronic communication.
         (e)  The State Advisory Council shall:
               (1)  meet at least quarterly; and
               (2)  provide State Advisory Council meeting dates,
  agendas, minutes, end-of-year reports, and other documentation as
  required to the Military Interstate Children's Compact Commission.
         (f)  The State Advisory Council shall perform each function
  or duty required or authorized under Article VIII of the compact.
         (g)  The State Advisory Council shall establish policies and
  procedures governing the State Advisory Council's operations.
         (h)  The State Advisory Council is a governmental body for
  purposes of Chapter 551, Government Code.
         SECTION 3.  Section 162.005, Education Code, is repealed.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
 
  * * * * *