H.B. No. 4102
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the disaster contingency fund and relief for school
  districts located in a disaster area.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 418.073(c), Government Code, as added by
  Chapter 1250 (H.B. 2694), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular
  Session, 2007, is amended to read as follows:
         (c)  A state or [agency,] local government[, or other
  eligible] entity that participates in disaster preparation or
  disaster recovery may request and receive funding from the disaster
  contingency fund to pay for[:
               [(1)  extraordinary] costs incurred by the state or
  local government entity in preparing for or recovering from
  [implementing preventive measures taken before or during an
  emergency; and
               [(2)     costs incurred in repairing damage suffered
  during] a disaster [for which:
                     [(A)     the presiding officer of a municipal or
  county government has declared a local state of disaster for
  affected areas within the jurisdiction of the municipality or
  county; and
                     [(B)     the governor has also declared a state of
  disaster for the affected county or counties].
         SECTION 2.  Section 418.073, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subsections (f), (g), and (h) to read as follows:
         (f)  A state or local government entity or other eligible
  entity that receives funding from the disaster contingency fund to
  pay for costs associated with disaster recovery and that
  subsequently receives reimbursement from the federal government,
  an insurer, or another source for those same costs shall reimburse
  the disaster contingency fund for the reimbursed amounts.  In
  developing rules and procedures under Subsection (d) the governor's
  division of emergency management shall prescribe accounting and
  other procedures necessary to efficiently and effectively
  implement this subsection.
         (g)  Money in the disaster contingency fund may be used to
  pay for a disaster risk financing instrument using a parametric
  index based on affected population to leverage available funds and
  receive proceeds greater than appropriated amounts to pay for
  extraordinary expenses.
         (h)  Money in the disaster contingency fund may be used to
  provide to a local government entity that is suffering financial
  hardship as a result of a disaster declared under this chapter funds
  for the purpose of providing local matching funds for Federal
  Emergency Management Agency qualifying projects.
         SECTION 3.  Subchapter D, Chapter 41, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 41.0931 to read as follows:
         Sec. 41.0931.  DISASTER REMEDIATION COSTS. (a) This
  section applies only to a district all or part of which is located
  in an area declared a disaster area by the governor under Chapter
  418, Government Code, and that incurs disaster remediation costs as
  a result of the disaster.
         (b)  Subject to Subsection (c), for the two-year period
  following the date of the governor's initial proclamation or
  executive order declaring a state of disaster, the total amount
  required to be paid by a district for attendance credits under
  Section 41.093 is reduced by the amount of any disaster remediation
  costs that the district pays during that period and does not
  anticipate recovering through insurance proceeds, federal disaster
  relief payments, or another similar source of reimbursement.
         (b-1)  For purposes of determining the reduction under this
  section to which a district is entitled for the 2009-2010 school
  year, disaster remediation costs paid by the district after
  September 1, 2008, are included if the costs meet all other
  requirements imposed by this section. This subsection expires
  September 1, 2010.
         (c)  To receive a reduction under this section, a district
  must provide the commissioner with acceptable documentation of
  disaster remediation costs paid by the district.
         (d)  The commissioner shall adopt rules necessary to
  implement this section, including rules defining "disaster
  remediation costs" for purposes of this section and specifying the
  type of documentation required under Subsection (c).
         (e)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this section,
  the commissioner may permit a district to use funds available to the
  district as a result of a reduction under this section to pay the
  costs of replacing a facility instead of repairing the facility.
  The commissioner shall ensure that a district that elects to
  replace a facility does not receive a reduction that exceeds the
  lesser of:
               (1)  the amount that would be available to the district
  if the facility were repaired; or
               (2)  the amount necessary to replace the facility.
         SECTION 4.  Subchapter A, Chapter 42, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 42.0051 to read as follows:
         Sec. 42.0051.  AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE FOR DISTRICTS IN
  DISASTER AREA.  (a) From funds specifically appropriated for the
  purpose or other funds available to the commissioner for that
  purpose, the commissioner shall adjust the average daily attendance
  of a school district all or part of which is located in an area
  declared a disaster area by the governor under Chapter 418,
  Government Code, if the district experiences a decline in average
  daily attendance that is reasonably attributable to the impact of
  the disaster.
         (b)  The adjustment must be sufficient to ensure that the
  district receives funding comparable to the funding that the
  district would have received if the decline in average daily
  attendance reasonably attributable to the impact of the disaster
  had not occurred.
         (c)  The commissioner shall make the adjustment required by
  this section for the two-year period following the date of the
  governor's initial proclamation or executive order declaring the
  state of disaster.
         (d)  Section 42.005(b)(2) does not apply to a district that
  receives an adjustment under this section.
         (e)  A district that receives an adjustment under this
  section may not receive any additional adjustment under Section
  42.005(d) for the decline in average daily attendance on which the
  adjustment under this section is based.
         (f)  For purposes of this title, a district's adjusted
  average daily attendance under this section is considered to be the
  district's average daily attendance as determined under Section
  42.005.
         SECTION 5.  Subchapter E, Chapter 42, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Sections 42.2523 and 42.2524 to read as follows:
         Sec. 42.2523.  ADJUSTMENT FOR PROPERTY VALUE AFFECTED BY
  STATE OF DISASTER. (a) For purposes of Chapters 41 and 46 and this
  chapter, the commissioner shall adjust the taxable value of
  property of a school district all or part of which is located in an
  area declared a disaster area by the governor under Chapter 418,
  Government Code, as necessary to ensure that the district receives
  funding based as soon as possible on property values as affected by
  the disaster.
         (b)  The commissioner may fund adjustments under this
  section using funds specifically appropriated for the purpose or
  other funds available to the commissioner for that purpose.
         (c)  Any additional funding to which a school district is
  entitled as a result of the adjustment required by this section is
  in addition to the amount of funding to which the district is
  entitled under Section 42.2516(b).
         (d)  A decision of the commissioner under this section is
  final and may not be appealed.
         Sec. 42.2524.  REIMBURSEMENT FOR DISASTER REMEDIATION
  COSTS. (a) This section applies only to a school district all or
  part of which is located in an area declared a disaster area by the
  governor under Chapter 418, Government Code, and that incurs
  disaster remediation costs as a result of the disaster.
         (b)  During the two-year period following the date of the
  governor's initial proclamation or executive order declaring a
  state of disaster, a district may apply to the commissioner for
  reimbursement of disaster remediation costs that the district pays
  during that period and does not anticipate recovering through
  insurance proceeds, federal disaster relief payments, or another
  similar source of reimbursement.
         (b-1)  A district may seek reimbursement of disaster
  remediation costs paid by the district on or after September 1,
  2008. This subsection expires September 1, 2011.
         (c)  The commissioner may provide reimbursement under this
  section only if funds are available for that purpose as follows:
               (1)  reimbursement for a school district not required
  to take action under Chapter 41 may be provided from:
                     (A)  amounts appropriated for that purpose,
  including amounts appropriated for those districts for that purpose
  to the disaster contingency fund established under Section 418.073,
  Government Code; or
                     (B)  Foundation School Program funds available
  for that purpose, based on a determination by the commissioner that
  the amount appropriated for the Foundation School Program,
  including the facilities component as provided by Chapter 46,
  exceeds the amount to which districts are entitled under this
  chapter and Chapter 46; and
               (2)  reimbursement for a school district required to
  take action under Chapter 41 may be provided from funds described by
  Subdivision (1)(B) if funds remain available after fully
  reimbursing each school district described by Subdivision (1) for
  its disaster remediation costs.
         (d)  If the amount of money available for purposes of
  reimbursing school districts not required to take action under
  Chapter 41 is not sufficient to fully reimburse each district's
  disaster remediation costs, the commissioner shall reduce the
  amount of assistance provided to each of those districts
  proportionately. If the amount of money available for purposes of
  reimbursing school districts required to take action under Chapter
  41 is not sufficient to fully reimburse each district's disaster
  remediation costs, the commissioner shall reduce the amount of
  assistance provided to each of those districts proportionately.
         (e)  A district seeking reimbursement under this section
  must provide the commissioner with adequate documentation of the
  costs for which the district seeks reimbursement.
         (f)  A district required to take action under Chapter 41:
               (1)  may, at its discretion, receive assistance
  provided under this section either as a payment of state aid under
  this chapter or as a reduction in the total amount required to be
  paid by the district for attendance credits under Section 41.093;
  and
               (2)  may not obtain reimbursement under this section
  for the payment of any disaster remediation costs that resulted in a
  reduction under Section 41.0931 of the district's cost of
  attendance credits.
         (g)  Amounts provided to a district under this section are in
  addition to the amount to which the district is entitled under
  Section 42.2516.
         (h)  The commissioner shall adopt rules necessary to
  implement this section, including rules defining "disaster
  remediation costs" for purposes of this section and specifying the
  type of documentation required under Subsection (e).
         (i)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this section,
  the commissioner may permit a district to use amounts provided to a
  district under this section to pay the costs of replacing a facility
  instead of repairing the facility. The commissioner shall ensure
  that a district that elects to replace a facility does not receive
  an amount under this section that exceeds the lesser of:
               (1)  the amount that would be provided to the district
  if the facility were repaired; or
               (2)  the amount necessary to replace the facility.
         (j)  This section does not require the commissioner to
  provide any requested reimbursement. A decision of the
  commissioner regarding reimbursement is final and may not be
  appealed.
         SECTION 6.  Section 44.0312, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
         (c)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, in the
  event of a catastrophe, emergency, or natural disaster affecting a
  school district, the board of trustees of the district may delegate
  to the superintendent or designated person the authority to
  contract for the replacement, construction, or repair of school
  equipment or facilities under this subchapter if emergency
  replacement, construction, or repair is necessary for the health
  and safety of district students and staff.
         SECTION 7.  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 September 1, 2009.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 4102 was passed by the House on April
  30, 2009, by the following vote:  Yeas 132, Nays 0, 1 present, not
  voting; that the House refused to concur in Senate amendments to
  H.B. No. 4102 on May 23, 2009, and requested the appointment of a
  conference committee to consider the differences between the two
  houses; and that the House adopted the conference committee report
  on H.B. No. 4102 on May 31, 2009, by the following vote:  Yeas 143,
  Nays 0, 1 present, not voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 4102 was passed by the Senate, with
  amendments, on May 21, 2009, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays
  0; at the request of the House, the Senate appointed a conference
  committee to consider the differences between the two houses; and
  that the Senate adopted the conference committee report on H.B. No.
  4102 on May 31, 2009, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate   
  APPROVED: __________________
                  Date       
   
           __________________
                Governor