By: Taylor of Galveston S.B. No. 2215               A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to state fiscal matters related to public education.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:   ARTICLE 1.  REDUCTION OF EXPENDITURES AND IMPOSITION OF CHARGES   GENERALLY          SECTION 1.01.  This article applies to any state agency,   school, or other entity other than an institution of higher   education, that receives an appropriation under Article III of the   General Appropriations Act.          SECTION 1.02.  Notwithstanding any other statute of this   state, each entity to which this article applies is authorized to   reduce or recover expenditures by:                (1)  consolidating any reports or publications the   entity is required to make and filing or delivering any of those   reports or publications exclusively by electronic means;                (2)  extending the effective period of any license,   permit, or registration the entity grants or administers;                (3)  entering into a contract with another governmental   entity or with a private vendor to carry out any of the entity's   duties;                (4)  providing that any communication between the   entity and another person and any document required to be delivered   to or by the entity, including any application, notice, billing   statement, receipt, or certificate, may be made or delivered by   e-mail or through the Internet; and                (5)  adopting and collecting fees or charges to cover   any costs the entity incurs in performing its lawful functions.   ARTICLE 2. REDUCTION IN GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT          SECTION 2.01.  An employee of a state agency, school, or   other entity other than an institution of higher education, that   receives an appropriation under Article III of the General   Appropriations Act, is not entitled to an amount from the state for   expenses, per diem, travel, or salary that exceeds the amount   authorized for those purposes by the General Appropriations Act.          SECTION 2.02.  An employee of a state agency, school, or   other entity other than an institution of higher education, that   receives an appropriation under Article III of the General   Appropriations Act, is not entitled to an amount from the state for   a salary, a salary supplement, office expenses or reimbursement of   office expenses, or travel that exceeds the amount authorized for   those purposes by the General Appropriations Act.   ARTICLE 3.  SCHEDULE OF INSTALLMENT PAYMENTS          SECTION 3.01.  Subsections (c), (d), and (f), Section   42.259, Education Code, are amended to read as follows:          (c)  Payments from the foundation school fund to each   category 2 school district shall be made as follows:                (1)  22 percent of the yearly entitlement of the   district shall be paid in an installment to be made on or before the   25th day of September of a fiscal year;                (2)  18 percent of the yearly entitlement of the   district shall be paid in an installment to be made on or before the   25th day of October;                (3)  9.5 percent of the yearly entitlement of the   district shall be paid in an installment to be made on or before the   25th day of November;                (4)  7.5 percent of the yearly entitlement of the   district shall be paid in an installment to be made on or before the   25th day of April;                (5)  five percent of the yearly entitlement of the   district shall be paid in an installment to be made on or before the   25th day of May;                (6)  10 percent of the yearly entitlement of the   district shall be paid in an installment to be made on or before the   25th day of June;                (7)  13 percent of the yearly entitlement of the   district shall be paid in an installment to be made on or before the   25th day of July; and                (8)  15 percent of the yearly entitlement of the   district shall be paid in an installment to be made after the 5th   day of September and not later than the 10th day of September of the   calendar year following the calendar year of the payment made under   Subdivision (1) [on or before the 25th day of August].          (d)  Payments from the foundation school fund to each   category 3 school district shall be made as follows:                (1)  45 percent of the yearly entitlement of the   district shall be paid in an installment to be made on or before the   25th day of September of a fiscal year;                (2)  35 percent of the yearly entitlement of the   district shall be paid in an installment to be made on or before the   25th day of October; and                (3)  20 percent of the yearly entitlement of the   district shall be paid in an installment to be made after the 5th   day of September and not later than the 10th day of September of the   calendar year following the calendar year of the payment made under   Subdivision (1) [on or before the 25th day of August].          (f)  Except as provided by Subsection (c)(8) or (d)(3), any   [Any] previously unpaid additional funds from prior fiscal years   owed to a district shall be paid to the district together with the   September payment of the current fiscal year entitlement.          SECTION 3.02.  Subsection (c), Section 466.355, Government   Code, is amended to read as follows:          (c)  Each August the comptroller shall:                (1)  estimate the amount to be transferred to the   foundation school fund on or before September 15; and                (2)  notwithstanding Subsection (b)(4), transfer the   amount estimated in Subdivision (1) to the foundation school fund   before August 25 [installment payments are made under Section   42.259, Education Code].          SECTION 3.03.  Subsections (c) and (e) of Section 42.2591,   Education Code, are amended to read as follows:          (c)  Payments from the foundation school fund to an   open-enrollment charter school under this section shall be made as   follows:                (1)  22 percent of the yearly entitlement of the school   shall be paid in an installment to be made on or before the 25th day   of September of a fiscal year;                (2)  18 percent of the yearly entitlement of the school   shall be paid in an installment to be made on or before the 25th day   of October;                (3)  9.5 percent of the yearly entitlement of the   school shall be paid in an installment to be made on or before the   25th day of November;                (4)  four percent of the yearly entitlement of the   school shall be paid in an installment to be made on or before the   25th day of December;                (5)  four percent of the yearly entitlement of the   school shall be paid in an installment to be made on or before the   25th day of January;                (6)  four percent of the yearly entitlement of the   school shall be paid in an installment to be made on or before the   25th day of February;                (7)  four percent of the yearly entitlement of the   school shall be paid in an installment to be made on or before the   25th day of March;                (8)  7.5 percent of the yearly entitlement of the   school shall be paid in an installment to be made on or before the   25th day of April;                (9)  five percent of the yearly entitlement of the   school shall be paid in an installment to be made on or before the   25th day of May;                (10)  seven percent of the yearly entitlement of the   school shall be paid in an installment to be made on or before the   25th day of June;                (11)  seven percent of the yearly entitlement of the   school shall be paid in an installment to be made on or before the   25th day of July; and                (12)  eight percent of the yearly entitlement of the   school shall be paid in an installment to be made after the 5th day   of September and not later than the 10th day of September of the   calendar year following the calendar year of the payment made under   Subdivision (1)[on or before the 25th day of August].          (e)  Except as provided by Subsection (c)(12), previously   [Previously] unpaid additional funds from prior fiscal years owed   to an open-enrollment charter school shall be paid to the school   together with the September payment of the current fiscal year   entitlement.          SECTION 3.04.  The changes made by this article to Sections   42.259 and 42.2591, Education Code, apply only to a payment from the   foundation school fund that is made on or after the effective date   of this Act. A payment to a school district from the foundation   school fund that is made before that date is governed by Sections   42.259 and 42.2591, Education Code, as it existed before amendment   by this article, and the former law is continued in effect for that   purpose.   ARTICLE 4. PILOT PROGRAMS          SECTION 4.01 PILOT PROGRAM PROPOSALS AND RULES. The   commissioner of each state agency to which this article applies may   propose to the appropriate legislative committee pilot programs   that could be tested to determine if the programs might produce long   term fiscal benefits to the state. The commissioner may propose   rules necessary to implement the pilot programs.   ARTICLE 5. REPEALER          SECTION 5.01 Section 42.262, Education Code, is repealed.   ARTICLE 6. EFFECTIVE DATE          SECTION 6.01.  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 on the 91st day after the last day of   the legislative session.