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Amend HB 3526 (senate committee report) by adding the following appropriately numbered SECTION to the bill and renumbering SECTIONS of the bill accordingly:
SECTION ____. Chapter 32, Education Code, is amended by adding Subchapter G to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER G. TECHNOLOGY LENDING PROGRAM GRANTS
Sec. 32.301. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM. (a) The commissioner may establish a grant program under which grants are awarded to school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to implement a technology lending program to provide students access to equipment necessary to access and use electronic instructional materials.
(b) A school district or an open-enrollment charter school may apply to the commissioner to participate in the grant program. In awarding grants under this subchapter for each school year, the commissioner shall consider:
(1) the availability of existing equipment to students in the district or school;
(2) other funding available to the district or school; and
(3) the district's or school's technology plan.
(c) The commissioner may determine the terms of a grant awarded under this section, including limits on the grant amount and approved uses of grant funds.
(d) The commissioner may recover funds not used in accordance with the terms of a grant by withholding amounts from any state funds otherwise due to the school district or open-enrollment charter school.
Sec. 32.302. FUNDING. (a) The commissioner may use not more than $25 million from the state instructional materials fund under Section 31.021 each state fiscal biennium or a different amount determined by appropriation to administer a grant program established under this subchapter.
(b) The cost of administering a grant program under this subchapter must be paid from funds described by Subsection (a).
Sec. 32.303. USE OF GRANT FUNDS. (a) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may use a grant awarded under Section 32.301 or other local funds to purchase, maintain, and insure equipment for a technology lending program.
(b) Equipment purchased by a school district or open-enrollment charter school with a grant awarded under Section 32.301 is the property of the district or school.
Sec. 32.304. REVIEW OF PROGRAM. Not later than January 1, 2019, the commissioner shall review the grant program established under this subchapter and submit a report to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the presiding officers of the standing committees in the senate and house primarily responsible for public education. This section expires September 1, 2019.