Bill Text: TX HB1681 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of an energy efficiency program for school districts and open-enrollment charter schools.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-03-07 - Referred to Public Education [HB1681 Detail]

Download: Texas-2023-HB1681-Introduced.html

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88R4029 ANG-D
By: Hernandez H.B. No. 1681

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the establishment of an energy efficiency program for
school districts and open-enrollment charter schools.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 447.003, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 447.003. LIAISON TO FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. The state
energy conservation office is the state liaison to the federal
government for the implementation and administration of federal
programs relating to state agency energy matters. The office shall
administer state programs established under:
(1) Part D, Title III, Energy Policy and Conservation
Act (42 U.S.C. Section 6321 et seq.), and its subsequent
amendments;
(2) Part G, Title III, Energy Policy and Conservation
Act (42 U.S.C. Section 6371 et seq.), and its subsequent
amendments; [and]
(3) the Clean School Bus Program and other energy
conservation, resilience, and reliability programs established by
the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58), and
its subsequent amendments; and
(4) other federal energy conservation programs as
assigned to the office by the governor or the legislature.
SECTION 2. Section 2305.031, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 2305.031. OIL OVERCHARGE PROGRAMS. (a) The energy
office shall maintain a revolving loan program for the benefit of:
(1) state agencies, universities, and political
subdivisions; and
(2) open-enrollment charter schools for the purposes
of Section 2305.040.
(b) The energy office shall use oil overcharge funds for the
programs and purposes in this subchapter.
SECTION 3. Subchapter D, Chapter 2305, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 2305.040 to read as follows:
Sec. 2305.040. ENERGY EFFICIENT SCHOOLS PROGRAM. (a) In
this section, "bus" has the meaning assigned by Section 34.015(a),
Education Code.
(b) The energy efficient schools program is a program to
promote, facilitate, and support the use of electric buses and
solar panels in public schools and open-enrollment charter schools
through grants, partnerships, and loans.
(c) The energy office is the supervising agency for the
energy efficient schools program.
(d) A project funded under the energy efficient schools
program may include:
(1) the acquisition of electric buses and charging
stations by school districts and open-enrollment charter schools;
(2) the acquisition of solar panels for school
campuses by school districts and open-enrollment charter schools;
and
(3) electricity storage projects to provide efficient
means of making stored energy available during periods of peak
energy use, including:
(A) projects to store electricity in buses; and
(B) projects to store electricity produced from
solar generation.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.