Bill

SB 195

85(R) - 2017
Senate Education
House Public Education
Senate Education
House Public Education

Vote Recommendation

Neutral
  • Neutral
  • Neutral
  • Neutral
  • Neutral
  • Neutral

Author(s)

Sylvia Garcia

Co-Author(s)

Donna Campbell
Jose Menendez

Sponsor(s)

Alma A. Allen

Bill Caption

Relating to funding under the transportation allotment for public students subject to a high risk of violence while walking to school

Fiscal Notes

From the LBB: The fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined at this time due to the unavailability of data related to the number of students who would be subject to a high risk of violence if they walked to school. The Commissioner of Education would not be required to implement the legislation in the absence of an appropriation.

The number of children living within two miles of their school who would be subject to a high risk of violence if they walked to school is not known. However,as an example, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) indicated in the 2014-15 school year, $9,775,532 was provided under the transportation allotment for the transportation of students who would otherwise be subject to hazardous traffic conditions. If 10 percent of the amount provided to transport children subject to hazardous traffic conditions in fiscal year 2018 was provided to transport students who would be subject to a high risk of violence if they walked, the cost to implement the provisions of the bill would be $977,553 in fiscal year 2018. 

Bill Analysis

Under current law, a district or county may seek the approval of the commissioner to receive 10 percent more funding from the transportation allotment fund, in order to bus in school kids who live less than two miles from the school and live in hazardous traffic conditions. That standard would be extended to high risk neighborhoods as well.

Vote Recommendation Notes

While we recognize that this bill is within the legitimate domain of the legislature to address, we have reservations about a standard as broad as high risk. SB 195 could easily lead to an exponential increase in spending in this area of school finance. However at this time, we remain neutral on SB 195.