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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to an interim study by the State Office of Risk Management |
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regarding property and casualty insurance costs incurred by public |
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schools. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Agency" means the Texas Education Agency. |
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(2) "Office" means the State Office of Risk |
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Management. |
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(b) The office shall, in collaboration with the agency, |
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conduct an interim study on the costs of insuring public school real |
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property, using information provided by the agency, to develop a |
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statewide strategy to lower the costs of property and casualty |
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insurance for public schools in this state while ensuring that all |
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real property owned by public schools in this state, including |
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buildings, facilities, and land, is adequately insured. |
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(c) The agency shall require each school district and |
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open-enrollment charter school to submit to the agency by a date |
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prescribed by the agency the following information: |
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(1) the total insurable value of each building or |
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facility owned or leased by the district or school; |
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(2) the costs of property damage incurred by the |
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district or school during the preceding 10 years; |
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(3) the cost of property and casualty insurance to |
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insure all of the district's or school's assets; and |
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(4) the district's or school's protocols for replacing |
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or repairing damaged property. |
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(d) The agency shall report the information submitted by |
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each school district and open-enrollment charter school to the |
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office by a date prescribed by the office. |
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(e) In conducting the interim study under Subsection (b) of |
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this section, the office shall collect information and solicit |
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input from risk pools in which school districts and open-enrollment |
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charter schools participate. |
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(f) Not later than September 1, 2026, the office shall |
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prepare and submit to the legislature and each risk pool described |
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by Subsection (e) of this section a report regarding the office's |
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findings and recommendations based on the interim study conducted |
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under this section. The report must include recommendations |
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regarding: |
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(1) a statewide strategy to lower the costs of |
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property and casualty insurance for public schools in this state |
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while ensuring that all real property owned by public schools in |
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this state is adequately insured; |
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(2) actions school districts and open-enrollment |
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charter schools can individually take to alleviate property and |
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casualty insurance costs; |
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(3) actions risk pools in which school districts and |
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open-enrollment charter schools participate can take to lower costs |
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and remain resilient in the long term; and |
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(4) if the office recommends creating a statewide risk |
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pool to provide property and casualty insurance to school districts |
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and open-enrollment charter schools, the amount necessary for the |
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state to allocate to create that risk pool and the estimated savings |
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from operating a risk pool. |
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(g) This section expires September 1, 2027. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |